Star Crossed
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Spike fell in love with a young Slayer named Elizabeth. He has to leave on a mission, returning 18 years later and not knowing just how much time had passed. He finds a young girl fighting vampires who greatly resembles Elizabeth, but is she? Spuffy!
1. Chapter 1

Well, I'm finally back with a new story. This is something else really different from me; I just hope I managed to make it work. I don't know if it would be for everyone, but I really hope you guys would give it a chance. I would love to know what you think of it!

**Prologue**

"I'm going out, Mom."

Joyce Summers grabbed her daughter's arm. "Hopefully not to see that boy, I don't like his influence on you."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Hardly, I'm definitely over Tyler. I realized that he's not the one for me."

This pleased her mother. "Okay, just don't be out too late. It's a school night."

Elizabeth nodded and headed out the door, making her way to the nearest cemetery. All was quiet for about an hour, until she heard a rustle coming from behind her. She quickly pulled out her trustworthy stake, glancing around at her surroundings. "I know you're there." Anything else she would have said was cut off when a hard body slammed into her, taking her to the ground. Elizabeth was quick and flipped the vampire over, so she was now the one on top, stake aimed for his heart. "You're getting sloppy, Spike."

He grinned up at her. "And you're getting better at honing your senses." He stood, helping her up in the process.

Elizabeth brushed herself off. "What took you so long? I was getting bored," she said with a pout.

Spike was never one to resist when she did that. He leaned in toward her, touching his lips to hers in a soft caress. "Sorry, love, I had something to take care of. I didn't think your mum would let you out tonight."

She shrugged. "I'm the Slayer. Even if she didn't, I would have found a way out."

He smiled. "I have no doubts. Don't you think it's about time that you told her what you do?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "You know I can't do that, it would be too risky. Giles is all about the whole secret identity thing, you know the drill. Besides, I don't want my mom to think I'm some kind of freak. She's already disappointed in me enough these days."

Spike took her into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm sorry things aren't easier for you."

Elizabeth rested her head against his chest, always feeling safe and protected in his arms. They used to try and kill each other when he first got to town, but now she couldn't imagine being without him. He turned on his own family to be with her, even the woman that made him, who he spent over a century with. Elizabeth was in love for the first time in her life, at only the age of eighteen. She never wanted that feeling to go away.

Spike pulled out of the embrace a moment later, a serious expression suddenly taking over his features.

"Are you okay?" she wondered.

He took a deep, unneeded breath before answering her. "I have to leave for a little while, sweetheart. There's something I need to do."

She didn't like where that was going. "You're leaving Sunnydale? When? For how long? Why am I just now hearing about it?"

Spike put a calming hand on her shoulder. "I only just found out myself, but it was something I've thought about for a while now. I can't answer your questions, all I can say is that I should be back in a few weeks. Four at the most, give or take."

"Why can't you tell me what it is? I thought we didn't have any secrets."

He nodded. "I don't want to get your hopes up, pet. I may not find what I'm looking for, but no matter what, I promise that I will come back to you within a few weeks. There's nothing that can keep me away for too long. You trust me?"

Elizabeth nodded without any hesitation. "With my life," she stated.

Spike smiled and kissed her forehead tenderly. "I love you."

She smiled as well, even though her heart wasn't much in it. "I love you, too. Come back to me."

He cupped her cheek, lightly tracing her bottom lip. "Always," was the last thing he said before walking away.

Elizabeth didn't know it at the time, but that was the last she would ever see of him.

**Chapter 1**

_Eighteen years later…_

"Buffy, are you okay? I've been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes."

She snapped her head up, gazing at her confused friend. "Sorry, Willow, my mind has just been elsewhere lately."

The red head nodded. "I can see that. Anything you want to talk about?"

Buffy shook her head. "I'll let you know once I figure it out. I've just been having this weird feeling recently, like I'm being watched."

Willow's eyes widened. "Do you think it's a stalker or something?"

Buffy laughed nervously. "I doubt it; I'm not exactly stalking material. It's probably nothing, I'm just being paranoid."

Willow really hoped that her friend was right, but couldn't help the bad feeling she had.

* * *

Buffy took the long way home that night, knowing the short cut usually led to trouble. She spent a few hours at the Bronze, desperately needing to cut loose and forget her paranoia. It worked, for a little while at least. Buffy stopped when she heard a noise in the distance, reaching into her pocket for the weapon that she never left her house without. You could never be too careful in Sunnydale.

"It's late, I'm tired, and I don't wanna play games. Show yourself," she said to no one in particular. When nothing happened, Buffy figured she was just being paranoid again, until someone jumped out at her. The disfigured face proved that he was a vampire, and not some stupid college guy trying to scare her. With quick reflexes, Buffy pulled the stake out of her pocket and slammed it into his heart before he even realized what happened. She watched as he exploded into a cloud of dust, fledglings were always so easy. She was about to put the stake away, when she felt another presence behind her, swiftly turning around to look into the clearest blue eyes that she had ever seen. Buffy was afraid to drop the stake, knowing that she wasn't dealing with an ordinary man.

"It really is you," he said in wonder, wrapping his arms around her tiny frame. "God, it feels like it's been so bloody long since I've held you. I tried to get to you as fast as I could, but there were complications." He pulled away, not noticing the startled expression on her face. "I'll never leave you again, Elizabeth."

She gasped at that name and took a step away from him. "How…How do you know her? Who are you?"

Spike was confused. "You don't remember me? How bloody long was I gone for? You look exactly the same, except for your hair being a little lighter and shorter."

Buffy shook her head. "I think I should go now."

He stopped her from leaving. "Wait, Elizabeth, please tell me what happened. How is it that you don't remember me?"

She stopped and turned to look at him. "I'm not Elizabeth. I don't know who you are, but my name is Buffy Summers. Elizabeth was my mother."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Mother? No, that can't be right. I've only been gone for a little over a month."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm sure it's been longer than a month. Who are you, anyway?"

"Spike," was all he said and then continued. "They said time would move differently there, but it couldn't have been this much. What year is it?"

She raised her eyebrows. "It's 2008, are you sure you didn't just hit your head or something?"

Spike's eyes widened. "Bloody hell, it's been eighteen years? How is that possible? You're Elizabeth's daughter? You look so much like her."

"Yeah, I get that a lot. So, are we done here? I have to get home."

He grabbed her arm before she could leave. "Where's home? Is Elizabeth there? I really need to see her."

A sad expression formed on Buffy's face. "No, she died a long time ago. I live with Rupert Giles, her watcher. He took me in and raised me since her death."

Spike shut his eyes, opening them a moment later. "She's dead? How did it happen?"

Buffy yanked her arm out of his grasp. "You may have known my mother somehow, but you're still a complete stranger to me. It's not something I feel like talking about, especially not with a vampire."

She walked away then, and he did nothing to stop her.

* * *

"Do you know a vampire named Spike?"

Giles put his cup of tea down, staring at her in shock. "Where did you hear that name?"

Buffy shrugged. "I met him in the cemetery tonight. He thought I was my mom for some reason, I think he might have a few screws loose."

Giles took his glasses off to clean them. "Spike was a…friend of your mother's. He helped her out sometimes with slaying; she relied on him quite a bit. He took off eighteen years ago and never returned. It was very hard on her."

Buffy tried to process all of that. "It sounded like he didn't know how long he was gone. He said time moved differently where he was, maybe some alternate dimension."

Giles nodded. "I suppose that could make sense. A lot of time has passed, and he might not be the same vampire he was. Elizabeth may have trusted him, but I think it would be best if you two didn't cross paths again."

"You won't have to worry about that. He kind of gave me the creeps." Buffy knew that was a lie, remembering the fluttering in her stomach when she first laid eyes on him, but figured Giles didn't need to know that. "Why was my mother hanging out with a vampire? Wasn't she supposed to kill them?"

Giles took a deep breath. "Spike wasn't like other vampires. He turned his back on his family, instead choosing to fight on Elizabeth's side."

That was the last thing Buffy expected to hear. "Does he have a soul or something? I didn't think that was possible."

Giles shook his head. "He did all of that without the need of a soul, but that doesn't mean he should be trusted now. Your mother was foolish in a lot of the choices she made, she trusted too easily. I don't want you to make the same mistakes."

Buffy thought about what he said and knew that he was right, but a part of her was curious to see the vampire again.

* * *

"What was my mother to you?"

Spike turned around surprised, not having heard the girl come up behind him. He'd just got settled in a new crypt and was wondering how she could have found him already. "I loved her."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Okay, so more than just a friend. That was all I could get out of Giles."

"I suppose he would tell you that. If you mentioned me, then my guess is that he also told you to stay away. And yet, here you are."

She gave a smile. "I was never one for doing what I was told."

He smiled in return. "No, you don't seem like you would be. So much like your mother."

For some reason, that comment bothered her. "We need to get one thing straight if you're going to be staying in town. I may look and act like my mother sometimes, but I'm not her. If you're thinking of somehow pretending that I am her to get your jollies off, it's not gonna happen. We clear on that?"

Spike nodded, changing the subject. "How old are you, pet?"

She decided to let the name go. "I just turned seventeen a few weeks ago."

Spike sighed in relief, knowing that he couldn't have been her father. He didn't even know why that thought entered his mind; it wasn't possible for vampires to have children. "Why did Giles take you in? Where's your dad?"

"Hell if I know or care, he was just some loser that walked out on my mom when I was about a year old. Giles has always been like a father to me, well, grandfather I guess. Not that I would ever tell him that."

Spike liked this girl; she was a bit of a spitfire. "Why did I find you staking a vampire? You're not a Slayer, are you?"

Buffy laughed. "Hardly, it doesn't work that way. Giles has been training me since I was old enough, I'm the one that chooses to go out every night and fight vampires. I feel like I have to, Slayer or not. It's the only way I could be close to my mother. She died when I was really young, I don't even remember much about her. I just know that she was killed by a vampire, I saw it happen. I don't know why, but the vampire decided to spare me. This is something that I have to do. I plan on killing every single vampire I come across, until I find the one that took my mother away from me. She'll definitely regret letting me live."

He backed away, not liking the bloodthirsty look in her eyes.

"You can relax, Spike. Since you were close to my mom and don't seem to be a threat, I won't stake you. I make no promises if you get in my way, though. You either work with me, or you stay out of my sight. If I find out that you've been killing anyone in my town, I won't be as generous."

Spike nodded after a moment. "I haven't killed anyone since I was with Elizabeth; I have no intention to start now."

She nodded as well. "That may be so, but my mom isn't around anymore to keep you on a tight leash."

He scoffed at that. "There was no bloody leash. She trusted me and knew that I would never kill because it would hurt her, and that was the last thing I ever wanted to do. You feel that you need to slay to be closer to her. Well, I feel that I need to help you out to do the same. We're on the same side here."

Buffy didn't know why, but she believed him. "I usually work alone, but I suppose having a vampire on my side could come in handy. Hey, do you like to spar? Giles is getting a bit too old for it. I'm afraid he might break a hip or something."

A slow smile formed on his face, he really liked this girl.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Wow, he used to know your mom? Isn't that going to make things awkward?"

Buffy thought about it. "I admit that knowing he was involved with my mother is a bit disturbing, but it might come in handy having a vampire on my side."

Willow was about to respond, but never got the chance.

"I think this is a really bad idea, Buffy. What do you know about this guy? He could be lying to you."

She let out a sigh, knowing that he would have a problem with it. "I'm a big girl, Xander. I can handle one vampire. Besides, the story checks out with what Giles told me."

Willow nudged him in the stomach before he could say anything else. "Is he a hottie?"

Buffy found herself blushing, which wasn't something that happened often. "You have no idea."

Xander rolled his eyes, wishing that he had more male friends.

* * *

"Where are you off to?"

Buffy turned around at the sound of Giles' voice, knowing that she wouldn't have been able to sneak out. "I'm going for a quick patrol."

He shook his head. "It is a school night, Buffy. I'm sure you have some homework to do."

She shrugged. "I'll have time to do it later; vamps aren't going to take a night off just so I can finish my homework."

"Your grades are slipping. I know that you feel you have to do this…"

Buffy cut him off by raising her hand. "I know I have to. A vampire killed my mother, Giles. Ripped her throat out while I watched, that's not something I can just let go. I know that I'm not a Slayer, but I still have to do this. I can't rest knowing that vampire is still out there somewhere. If I have to kill every single one of her kind until I find her, then I'll do it. I can feel that she's close by. I don't know how, but I just can."

Giles rubbed his temple. "It's not possible to kill every vampire. Several rise every night; it's not your responsibility."

Buffy looked around. "Really? I don't see another Slayer in this town. She was called elsewhere, so I'm going to do what I can to protect this place and everyone in it. Even if it kills me, at least I'll know that I died doing something right for a change."

"The right thing is going to school and getting an education. I knew your mother better than anyone, Buffy. This is not the life she would have wanted for you."

Buffy grabbed her jacket before opening the door, giving him one more look. "Maybe you didn't know her as well as you thought," with that said, she made her way out of the house.

He watched her go, a somber expression on his face. Giles prayed that someone could get through to her, because he doubted that she would ever listen to him.

* * *

"Bloody hell, don't you ever get tired?"

Buffy smiled as she helped him up. "You know, I would expect more from a vampire. Maybe you're just too old for this."

Spike growled and attacked her, which Buffy easily blocked.

She flipped him over and landed hard on his chest, knowing that would have knocked the wind out of him had he been human. "You give up yet?"

Spike gazed up at her. "Are you sure you're not a Slayer?"

"Nope, I've just had lots of practice." Buffy shifted on top of him, feeling the obvious bulge that Spike was sporting in his pants. Her eyes widened as she bounded off of him, taking a step back. "Okay, I think that's enough for one night."

He smirked and stood up, noticing the adorable blush that tinted her cheeks.

"I should get home, but thanks for the sparring. You were very hard. I…I mean good. Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

Spike watched in amusement as she rushed out of his crypt. He had only known the chit for three days, but could already tell how different she was from Elizabeth. Buffy was a great fighter, very determined with her skills, but when it came to men, she didn't seem to have much of a clue. Spike didn't know why, but he was very grateful for that.

* * *

Buffy snuck into the house later that night, only to find that Giles was waiting up for her.

"How was patrol?"

She shrugged and moved further into the room. "Same as always, nothing I couldn't handle." Buffy headed for the stairs, stopping when Giles spoke up again.

"Have you seen Spike since your last encounter?" he wondered.

Buffy turned to look at him. "No, I told you, I'm not going to be seeing him. I'm not my mother, I don't socialize with vampires."

Giles nodded after a moment, but for some reason didn't think she was being completely honest with him.

"Can I go to bed now? I'm pretty tired."

Giles nodded again, remaining silent as she made her way upstairs. He didn't know what to do with that girl anymore.

* * *

"_Do whatever you want with me, Drusilla. Just please, don't hurt my baby."_

_The crazy vampiress grinned, moving her gaze onto the small child that was huddled in the corner.__"Such pretty sunshine. I'll make you pay for taking my dark prince from me, then I'll eat the little one."_

_Elizabeth tried to block the girl from her view, but it was no use. "I don't have anything to do with his disappearance, but you lost him long before that. My daughter has nothing to do with this, she's an innocent."_

_Drusilla cackled madly. "Innocence tastes very good, my sweet." She grabbed Elizabeth around the neck, pulling her closer. "Let's see how you taste," she spat, then struck her fangs into the Slayer's throat, draining her dry. Drusilla dropped the body to the ground, licking her lips of the sweet ambrosia and focusing back on the helpless child. She moved over to her side, kneeling down to be level with her. "It is not your time yet, deary. He will come for you, and then we'll be a family again."_

* * *

Buffy awoke with a start, sweat dripping down her face as she took in her surroundings. She remembered the moment as if it were yesterday, but something felt different this time around. The dreams were getting more and more cryptic; she just wished that she could make more sense out of them. With that thought in mind, she clutched her stuffed pig tighter to her chest and tried to succumb back to sleep.

It was a long time coming.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"So, the wanker doesn't know that I've been helping you?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "No, he doesn't. Giles isn't your biggest fan. He would freak if he found out I was seeing you, even just to help me with patrol. He doesn't need to know."

Spike grinned. "Disobeying the watcher? You are your mother's daughter."

She took in a deep breath. "Is that the only reason you're hanging with me? Because I remind you of my mom?"

He shook his head. "No, I also like your sparkling personality."

Buffy slapped him lightly on the arm. "Now, I know that's a lie. Besides, Giles isn't my watcher. He's just my guardian. He should be used to me disobeying him by now." She stood up when a thought occurred to her, going over to the mantle above the fireplace and snatching up a framed photo. Buffy took the picture out of the frame, handing it to him. "You should have this."

Spike gazed into the photo to see a picture of Elizabeth holding a bundle that he assumed was Buffy. It must have been taken right after she was born. "I can't accept this, you should keep it."

Buffy waved her hand in the air. "I have a lot of copies. I think my mom would have wanted you to have it."

Spike nodded, tracing his finger over Elizabeth's delicate features.

For some reason, the tender expression on Spike's face bothered Buffy, but she didn't understand why.

He glanced back up at her. "Thanks, love, I really appreciate it."

Buffy watched as he placed the picture in his duster pocket, nodding after a moment and knowing that she did the right thing.

"Your father was a bloody pillock to walk out. He missed out on getting to know a pretty amazing person."

Buffy figured that he meant her mother, but the look he gave her proved otherwise. "Well, I have Giles now. He's been a really good father to me. At least I know how to handle him." Her eyes widened when she heard a key in the front door. "Shit, he's home early. You have to get out of here."

Spike was taken by surprise when she grabbed his arm and pulled him over to the back door, shoving him through. "You know how to handle him, huh?"

She sent him a glare. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean he can't still ground me. I'll see you tomorrow night."

Spike nodded and without thinking much about his actions, placed a soft kiss on her cheek. He pulled away in shock, realizing that the same expression was on her face. He was just used to sneaking around with Elizabeth; it became a habit to give her a goodnight kiss. Even though he knew that Buffy was completely different from his former love. Spike gave her one more look before walking away from the house.

Buffy let out a sigh as she watched him go, shutting the door behind him.

"Who was that?"

She turned around to see Giles standing behind her. "Oh, that was Willow. She came over to study."

Giles raised his eyebrows. "Why didn't she stay for dinner?"

Buffy shrugged. "You know Will; she has a ton of studying to do. Sometimes it's better on an empty stomach." She cursed herself for being so bad at lying, but sighed in relief when it looked like Giles bought it.

"Have you finished all of your homework?" he wondered.

Buffy nodded. "Yep, got it all done when I came home. I didn't even patrol tonight."

Giles was surprised to hear that, but not disappointed.

Buffy stretched, letting out a fake yawn. "Wow, it's getting kinda late. I think I'm gonna turn in now."

Giles glanced down at his watch. "It's only eight."

"I'm just exhausted from all that studying. Goodnight, Giles."

He watched her head up the stairs in confusion, wondering if there was something that she was keeping from him.

* * *

Buffy made it to her room and decided to get some actual studying done, so she wouldn't feel as bad about lying to him. She just managed to crack her text book open, when her cell phone rang next to the bed. Buffy smiled when she saw who it was, answering on the second ring.

"Am I going to regret giving you this number?"

Spike chuckled on the other end. "I just wanted to wish you sweet dreams, love. I didn't get a chance to earlier, what with you rushing me and all."

Buffy wondered if he knew about the nightmares she had been having lately, but figured that wasn't likely. "Yeah, you're just lucky we didn't get caught. I think we should go to your place next time."

He shrugged, even though she couldn't see him. "That's fine with me. I'll see you tomorrow; don't let the little vampires bite."

Buffy laughed, rolling her eyes at the same time. "I'll keep that in mind, goodnight." She hung up and lay back in her bed, staring up at the ceiling and waiting for her heartbeat to return to normal.

* * *

Spike clicked his phone shut and continued to gaze up at her bedroom window, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag from it. He would remain there for as long as it took until she fell asleep. Spike knew that Buffy could take care of herself, but she wasn't a Slayer. He couldn't be there to protect Elizabeth when it counted, but he would be damned to let Buffy suffer the same fate. She was in his care now, whether she wanted it or not.

"I knew I sensed someone else out here."

Spike groaned at being caught, hating himself for not hearing the watcher's approach. He flicked his cigarette to the ground, stepping on it in the process. "It's been a long time, mate."

Giles stepped closer to him. "Not long enough, but apparently it's been longer for me than it has for you."

Spike nodded. "I can tell, you're looking more gray than usual."

Giles ignored the comment. "What are you doing here, Spike?"

"What do you think? I'm keeping a watch on your girl in there, making sure that no beasties get her."

Giles shook his head. "That is not your responsibility." He pointed to the house. "That girl is not Elizabeth. She's young and vulnerable to the ways of the heart. I won't have you put her through the same pain that you put my charge through."

Spike was starting to lose what little patience he had left. "That wasn't my bloody fault. I went to another dimension, it's not like there was a sign saying that I would be returning in eighteen years. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I would have never hurt Elizabeth if I could have helped it. I loved her more than anything. Do you know how much it kills me to come back to a world without her in it? That she died and I could do nothing to save her? Buffy is the only thing that I have left of Liz. I won't rest until I know that she's taken care of. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that she stays safe."

Giles wasn't about to back down. "How long has Buffy been involved with you?"

Spike held his hands up. "It's not like that; I've just been helping her on patrol. If you must know, it's only been about two weeks."

"And are you developing some kind of feelings for her?"

Spike remained silent, which was all Giles needed.

"I won't go down that road again, not with Buffy. I want you to stay away from her. Do I make myself clear?"

Spike shook his head. "I'm afraid that I can't do that, Ripper. I'll leave when Buffy tells me to."

Giles had a feeling he would say that and decided to let the matter go, for now. "You will help her patrol, but nothing more than that. Buffy deserves to have some semblance of a normal life. I know that is the one thing Elizabeth always wanted for her. I can't tell you what to do, but if you hurt her in any way, I will make sure that you regret it."

Spike nodded after a moment, admiring the way Giles stood up to him. He may not care much for the other man, but knew that Giles would do anything for Buffy. That was something they had in common.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"How long did you expect to keep this a secret from me?"

Buffy shrugged, really getting tired of the same lecture. "I didn't think it was a big deal."

Giles cleaned his glasses for possibly the millionth time that morning. "How could you not think this was a big deal? I warned you about him, and you knew what your mother had to go through. Letting Spike into your life will give you nothing but heartache, Buffy."

She jumped up from the couch and bounded over to the front door, turning back to him one more time. "I'm not my mother, Giles. Just because she fell in love with a vampire doesn't mean I would go down the same path. God, I don't even really like him. He's annoying and has that really tacky bleached hair, so not my type. You always tell me how I need to take someone on patrol other than Willow and Xander, someone who can actually defend themselves. Spike is helping me out; I don't see what's so wrong with that. Nothing else is going to happen; you need to stop being so overprotective and let me live my life already. I'm not a little kid anymore. I can handle myself," and with that said, she walked out the door.

Giles watched her go with a sigh. "My dear, you might be more like your mother than you think."

* * *

"Can you believe him? I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

Willow nodded. "You are and I'm not taking sides or anything, but Giles is just looking out for you. I mean, you haven't exactly made things very easy for him."

Buffy's jaw dropped. "That is so not true. I've been a perfect angel."

Willow nearly choked on her muffin. "A perfect angel? May I remind you about the time you started a fire in the gym? Giles almost wasn't able to convince them not to expel you."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "That was an accident," she mumbled.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Still, I wouldn't say that was very angelic behavior. Maybe not hanging around so much with Spike is a good idea."

"Yeah, I have to agree with Will on that one," Xander stated as he sat down next to them.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You don't even know what we're talking about."

He shrugged. "I still like what I heard."

Buffy was about to object, when Willow nudged her side and pointed in the distance.

"Scott Hope is checking you out again, Buffy. I told you he was interested."

Buffy turned to see that the brunette boy was indeed looking in her direction, turning away when he caught her staring. She blushed and focused back on her friends. "I doubt it; he was probably looking at someone else."

Willow shook her head. "Nope, it was definitely you."

"First Spike and now Scott, I really need to get me some male friends. All you two do is gush about boys all day; it's enough to make me wanna heave."

Willow glared at her long time best guy friend. "You're only jealous because we're not gushing about you, Xander. We're all seniors now and have never had any actual relationships. I for one don't want to graduate a virgin."

Buffy placed her hand on her friend's forehead. "Are you feeling okay? Since when do you care so much about losing your virginity? I thought you were waiting for marriage."

The red head shrugged and glanced away from them. "Things change, I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks about it."

Xander agreed. "You are definitely not alone in that, my friend. I have my eyes set on Cordelia; it's only a matter of time until she realizes that I'm the one she wants."

The girls exchanged looks, both trying to hide their amused smiles. Xander didn't stand a chance with the head cheerleader, but neither of them were about to tell him that.

* * *

Spike inwardly groaned again, there was a reason he once wanted nothing to do with teenage girls. Elizabeth changed all of that for him, but now he remembered why he dreaded them in the first place.

"Anyway, I think she's totally wrong. There's no way Scott is actually interested in me. What do you think?"

Spike rubbed his temples, not having thought before it was possible for vampires to get headaches. "I don't know the bloke, so I really couldn't say."

Buffy pouted. "You're no help."

He threw his hands up. "Excuse me for not bloody caring about what goes on in a sodding high school. Am I mistaken, or did you come here to spar? You can take that girly talk to one of your mates; I don't wanna hear one more thing about Scott bloody Hope. The wanker sounds like a nancy boy, anyway. You could do better." Spike didn't know where that came from, but wasn't about to back down.

"God, what crawled up your ass? Fine, I won't talk about him anymore. Sorry for actually thinking we were friends, I won't make that mistake again."

Spike felt bad when she got up to leave, grabbing her arm to stop her. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to upset you. That's just not the sort of thing a vampire likes to talk about, but I'm fine with anything else."

She sat back down across from him. "My mom never talked about that stuff with you?"

Spike shook his head. "If she talked about any other bloke, I would have killed him."

Her eyes widened. "Okay, I didn't need to know that."

He decided to clarify for her. "I loved your mum, pet. It would have killed me to hear her talk about anyone else. I know she had a whole life before I came into the picture. That there were other gits interested in her, but she knew better than to tell me about them. I can be a pretty jealous bloke, love. Especially when it came to her, and I have a feeling you would be no different."

Buffy wasn't expecting that. "So, are you saying that me talking about Scott made you jealous?"

"It's not something I usually like to admit, but right now, I'm tempted to kill him."

Buffy didn't know what to say, until she caught the smirk on his face and knew that he was just messing with her. She grabbed her stake and pounced on him, pressing the weapon into his heart. "I'm ready to spar now."

He thrust up into her crotch, delighted by the sound of her gasp. "That's a very dangerous position you're in, sweetheart."

Buffy decided to give just as good and pressed down into his erection. Two could play that game.

Spike's eyes rolled back. Oh, she would pay for that. He reached for the zipper of her jeans, pulling it down to reveal her lace panties.

Buffy took in a deep breath when he moved her underwear out of the way, gasping as she felt a cold finger enter her.

Spike grinned when he saw the look of pleasure on her face, pushing two more fingers into her and pumping them in and out.

"Spike," Buffy breathed out as she thrust down onto his fingers, taking them further inside of her.

"It's okay, pet. Just let yourself go."

Buffy threw her head back when she reached release, having never felt anything like that before.

Spike cleaned his fingers off once she came down from her high.

Buffy seemed to come back to her senses when she realized what happened. She moved away as if burned, quickly zipping up her pants. "Oh God, that didn't just happen."

Spike rushed over to her before she made her way out of the crypt. "Buffy, wait, we have to talk about this. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to go that far."

She shook her head. "It was a mistake; I shouldn't have let it happen. I'm not my mother, Spike. You did that with her, and I don't even want to think about what else. Do you know how disturbing that is? This is so wrong. I have to go."

He stopped her once again. "It wasn't a bloody mistake and you know it. Yes, I shouldn't have let things go that far so soon, but I don't regret it. Your mother is gone, Buffy. I loved her, but she's not coming back. I have to move on."

Buffy took a step away from him. "It can't be with me. I promised Giles that nothing would happen between us. I can't go back on that, no matter how I might feel for you. It's just a stupid crush that I'll get over. The point is that you loved my mother; all I would be is a replacement for the one you lost. Every time you look at me, you'll only be able to see her. I don't think I could bear that, so this can't happen again. From now on, we're going to have a strictly professional relationship. My mom and Giles both wanted a normal life for me, someone that could take me out in the daylight. I know the last thing my mother ever would have wanted was for me to have the same thing she did. You're just going to have to accept that. I really have to go."

Spike let her leave that time, thinking back on what she said. No, he couldn't really give her normal, but he could at least give her the daylight. Spike had a feeling that she would be worth it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Spike waited outside of Sunnydale High the next day, smiling when he finally saw Buffy walk out of the school. His smile quickly faded when he saw that she wasn't alone. A dark haired boy was walking with her, laughing at something she said. Buffy waved at him and headed in Spike's direction, he noticed when she saw him by the way her eyes widened.

"What are you doing here? And during the day? Something is very wrong with this picture."

He ignored her question. "Who was your friend?"

She rolled her eyes, detecting the hint of jealousy in his voice. "That was just Xander, and don't change the subject. How are you not bursting into flames right now?"

He pulled her away from the school, so they could have some privacy. "This is why I left Elizabeth all those years ago. I heard of a gem that would make the wearer invincible. And for vampires, able to walk in the sun. I knew how much she always wanted to go out with me during the day, and it killed me that I couldn't give it to her. So, this was going to be my surprise for her. I guess it's your surprise now."

"Gee, don't sound so happy about it. You never told her why you left?"

Spike shook his head. "I didn't want to get her hopes up, incase I couldn't find it. I just didn't know I would have been gone for so bloody long."

"What does this gem look like?" she wondered.

"It could be made to look like anything. Most that are able to possess it would wear it on their finger, but that would have been too risky for me. Anyone could easily take it off, so I had it implanted up here," he explained, tapping his head. "Be kinda hard to remove it now."

Buffy scrunched up her nose. "You had it put inside your head? God, that is so demented. So, wait, you can't be killed at all? Those times you looked afraid when I got a little too stake happy, you were just teasing me? When were you going to tell me about this?"

He shrugged. "I'm telling you now."

Buffy didn't know what to say to that, thinking back on their previous conversation. "Is this because of what I said about needing someone to take me out in the daylight?"

Spike avoided her gaze, suddenly finding a pebble on the ground to be very interesting.

Buffy forced him to look back at her. "Spike, you know this doesn't change anything, right? It's very sweet that you wanted to do this for my mother and yeah, I'm also flattered that you would trust me with it, but nothing can happen with us. You understand that, don't you? I mean, you have to realize how weird this whole thing is for me. It should be the same for you. Admit it, if I didn't look like her, you wouldn't be very interested in me."

He took her hand in his. "That's not true. You could be covered in slime and I would still think you're beautiful, whether you had her face or not. It's more about what's inside that I'm attracted to. I've never known anyone like you before."

She blushed and turned away from him. "I'm not that different from her."

"No, you are. I've always seen it." He cupped her cheek. "And now seeing you in the daylight, I'm glad I didn't get a chance to miss this."

Buffy stepped away from him. "But it was meant for her, not me."

Anything else he would have said was cut off by the arrival of another dark haired boy.

"Hey, Buffy, do you have the notes from English class today? I kinda spaced again."

She looked away from him and focused on Scott. "Sure, I'll get them for you." Buffy turned back to Spike one more time. "I'll see you later, okay?" She walked away, without bothering to wait for a response.

Spike watched her go, growling when he saw that boy put his arm around her. He gazed up at the bright sun, suddenly wishing that he would burst into flames. That would probably be less painful.

"You don't go here, do you?"

Spike was pulled out of his reverie, gazing at the young girl that spoke. "No, I'm just visiting."

She beamed up at him. "Oh, do you go to college? The guys at this school are so totally lame. You should come to the Bronze with me tonight; it's the only real cool place in Sunnydale."

Spike thought about it, giving her a smile. "I'd love to, pet."

If it was possible, her grin got even wider. "Great, I'll meet you there around seven. My name's Harmony, by the way. What's yours?"

"Spike," he said, causing her to giggle.

"I bet I can guess why they call you that," she claimed, glancing down at his crotch. "I'll see you tonight, Spikey."

He let out a sigh as she walked away, wondering just what he got himself into.

* * *

Buffy entered the Bronze with Scott later that night. She hadn't seen Spike since he showed up at her school, and just hoped that he was okay. She sat down at a nearby table, while Scott went to get them some drinks. It was her first time actually going out with someone other than Willow and Xander, but realized that she would much rather be there with her friends. Scott was a nice enough guy, but a bit on the dull side. She hardly even knew what to say to him. Buffy glanced around the club to keep herself occupied. Her jaw dropped when she noticed Spike out there, dancing seductively with Harmony Kendall. Well, he was obviously doing just fine. She saw red when that bimbo placed her hands on his ass, noticing that he did nothing to stop her. When Scott finally arrived back at the table, she grabbed his hand and headed out to the dance floor. Buffy didn't even know what she was doing, but didn't give much thought to her actions as she wrapped her arms around Scott and moved to the music.

* * *

Spike was stunned to see Buffy there that night. Although, a part of him was hoping she would show, but he didn't count on her being with that pillock. He suddenly wanted to get Harmony away from him, until he saw just how close Buffy was dancing with the other boy. She was practically dry humping him. Spike turned away from the pair and pulled Harmony closer, but it wasn't long before he focused back on Buffy. He finally had enough and pushed Harmony away, marching over to the couple and grabbing Buffy's arm. He pulled her out of the club, without even paying attention to her protests. Spike let her go once they were outside, and she did not look pleased.

"What the hell are you doing?"

He glared at her. "What am I doing? What the hell are you doing?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's called dancing. Come on, I know you're not that old."

Spike moved closer to her. "Don't start with me, little girl. That was more like having sex than dancing. What would your mother think if she saw you acting like a tramp tonight?"

Buffy couldn't believe he just said that to her, tears stinging her eyes. "What gives you the right to think you have any say in my life? If anyone is a tramp, it's that slut you were all over. You don't know anything about my mother, so don't give me that shit."

Spike knew that when he was pissed off, he should just walk away, but it was too late for that. "I knew her more than you did."

That was the last straw. Buffy pulled back her fist and punched him right in the face, too angered to care much about anything else.

Spike fell to the ground, staring up at her in shock, but knowing he deserved it. "Buffy," he started, but was cut off.

"I don't want to hear anything else you have to say. Just stay the hell away from me," and with that, she turned and ran in the other direction.

Spike let her go, running his fingers through his hair. He couldn't believe the way he acted with her, but knew that he had to make things right. Spike just hoped that she would let him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I need to bloody talk to her!"

Giles sent the vampire a glare. "Buffy doesn't want to speak to you right now. I don't know what you did to her, but I told you that I would make you pay if you ever hurt her."

Spike tried to keep control of his temper. "I just got out of line and said some things I shouldn't have, I need to apologize to her. You could at least give me that. I promise not to be longer than five minutes."

Giles thought it over, then agreed when he figured it would be the only way to get Spike out of his house. "Five minutes, but you are to leave if she asks you to."

Spike nodded and headed up the stairs, knocking on the door that he assumed was Buffy's. When he got no response, he slowly opened the door to find her sitting on her bed, a stuffed pig clutched to her chest. As he got closer, he realized how very familiar that animal was. "Mr. Gordo," he said, causing the blonde to stare up at him in surprise.

"How did you know that was his name?" she wondered.

"I gave him to your mum; I can't believe she actually kept it. I figured she would have tossed him after I never came back."

Buffy shook her head. "She gave him to me when I was a baby; I used to sleep with him every night."

Spike smiled at the thought of her sleeping with the pig, it quickly faded when he remembered why he was there in the first place. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't mean what I said, Buffy. I just got so bloody crazy seeing you with that wanker."

She nodded. "I wasn't so thrilled to see you with Harmony, either. She's such a bitch to me at school."

He sat down on the edge of her bed, figuring that it was safe. "I really can't stand the bint. I guess I was trying to get my mind off of you."

"Did it work?"

Spike shook his head. "No, all it did was make me want to kill her. I haven't had the urge in years."

Buffy laughed at that. "If it helps, I'm not really interested in Scott. I realized how very boring he was tonight. The guy can't even dance without making it look like he's having a seizure."

Spike chuckled and felt very relieved by that, but tried not to show it. "I should go, my five minutes are almost up and I wouldn't want Giles to come charging up here with a crossbow."

Buffy nodded and lay down, holding the pig closer to her body.

Spike watched her for a moment, smiling at how innocent she was. The poor girl had gone through more than anyone her age should have to, and she didn't even have the burden of being a Slayer. "Night, love, I'll see you tomorrow." He left the room and made his way back downstairs, raising his hands when he noticed Giles waiting for him. "I come in peace; your girl is still unharmed."

Giles rolled his eyes. "I'm not worried about you hurting her physically."

Spike walked by him and to the front door, turning back to Giles one more time. "You won't need to worry about me hurting her at all, Rupert. I can't explain it, but in the short time that I've known her, she's come to mean a lot to me."

"And you expect for me to believe that it has nothing to do with her mother?"

Spike glared at him. "This isn't about Liz, all right? Did it ever occur to you that maybe I happen to care about her? About whom she is and not who her mother was? I like Buffy as a person. I would still think that, even if Elizabeth wasn't her mother. I'm not saying that anything will happen between us, but I am saying that you should get used to seeing me around more often. I'm not going anywhere, not this time." He walked out then, not bothering to wait for a response.

Giles headed into the kitchen, desperately needing a drink.

From the top of the stairs, Buffy gazed at the spot where Spike was once standing, a small smile on her face. She quietly walked away and back to bed, cuddling Mr. Gordo and placing a kiss on the top of his head. It wasn't long before she finally let sleep claim her.

* * *

Spike was awoken by someone barging into his crypt. He groaned and sat up, putting his pants on and heading to the upper level, only to see that it was Buffy. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Isn't it a little early for sparring? In fact, shouldn't you be in school right now?"

Buffy barely heard what he said; too busy staring at his shirtless chest. The man was built like a Greek God; she thought and licked her lips at the sight of him.

Spike caught her appraisal and gave her a leer. "See something you like, pet?"

She snapped out of it at the sound of his voice. "No, I mean, yes, I mean, I don't know why I'm here."

Spike smiled, finding her absolutely adorable when she got all flustered like that. "Hopefully not just to check out my naked body. Although, I wouldn't really blame you if you did. I'm a damn sexy bloke."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "How would you know? It's not like you have a reflection."

He shrugged. "I don't need one. I get enough chits checking me out to let me know that I'm damn sexy."

"How is it that you can possibly fit your ego in here? This crypt isn't that big."

Spike gave her a scowl, moving to his chair and putting on the shirt that was draped over it. "Was there something you wanted?"

She almost pouted when he put the shirt on, but got right to the point. "I just wanted to thank you, for what you said to Giles last night. I might have overheard."

He nodded. "I knew I sensed another heartbeat by the stairs. You know, eavesdropping is really beneath you."

"Yeah, but I couldn't resist. I'm a teenager, it's what we do. It means a lot, though. Knowing that you just see me and not my mom, I'm worried that I'll always be in her shadow. She was pretty well known in this town, everyone loved her. Yet I only really have two friends and am considered to be a social outcast at school. She was popular, a cheerleader, everything I'm not. So yeah, it means a lot."

Spike didn't know what to say to that. "You don't give yourself enough credit, love. You have a lot to offer. How many lives have you saved?"

Buffy thought about it. "Not enough, but I'm doing it for all the wrong reasons. I've been so hung up on vengeance, that's all I could see. I let it take over my entire life, too focused on that to care much about anything else. School, friends, boys, I avoided all of it. Willow and Xander are the only ones that ever really understood me. They didn't freak when they found out about my mom, or that vampires actually exist and I've decided to slay them almost every night. I guess I never realized just how much I've missed out on. This isn't what my mom wanted for me, I know that. Giles tells me that all the time, but I honestly don't know if I could be anything else. This is all I know. She would probably be really disappointed in me."

Spike took her into his arms, without giving much thought to it. "Your mum would be so bloody proud of you, Buffy. You've accomplished so much and don't even realize it. There is no part of you that's not amazing."

She looked up at him to see how sincere he was. "You mean that?"

He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

Buffy pulled away after a moment. "I should get to school now. Will I see you tonight?"

"Yeah, you can count on that."

Buffy nodded and was about to walk away, when she decided otherwise, heading back to him and touching her lips to his in a soft caress. It lasted all of a second, but as far as first kisses go, they couldn't get better than that. She blushed and avoided his gaze. "I'll see you later."

Spike watched her leave, touching his lips and letting a smile form on his face. He knew going back to sleep wasn't an option, instead deciding to take a nice walk in the sunlight. Maybe he would pay another visit to her school.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"If my mom was still here when you came back, how would things be right now?"

Spike thought about her question. "I'm not sure, but I know that it could never be the way it was. Too much time passed for her; I wouldn't have expected her to still be in love with me. Besides, it didn't take her all that long to find a new bloke," he said, surprised by the lack of jealousy in his voice.

She scoffed. "Yeah, what a great choice that was. A complete loser that couldn't even handle dealing with a kid, so he bailed when things got too complicated. I hope I never find someone like that."

He smiled down at her. "I'm sure you won't."

Buffy cuddled up to his side, realizing just how right it felt. "We're supposed to be patrolling now. I told Giles that we would."

Spike shrugged. "I like holding you, just give me another minute."

She smiled against his chest, not about to argue with that.

* * *

Buffy hurried to class the next day, running late as usual. She wasn't paying attention and crashed right into another body, causing her books to fall to the floor. She bent down to pick them up, cringing at the voice that spoke.

"God, graceful much? Watch where you're going, Pyro Girl."

Buffy stood up and watched as Harmony walked away, followed by her sheep. She saw Willow standing there and shook her head. "You cause one accidental fire in your life and they never let you forget it."

"Don't let her get to you, Buffy. Harmony's mission in life is to make everyone miserable," Willow commented.

Buffy agreed. "Well, it's working. I would give anything for her to be a vampire, so I can stake her and finally be rid of that twit, but no such luck."

Willow laughed at that image. "Harmony would die without a reflection. Hey, have you seen Xander today?"

Buffy shook her head, glad for the subject change. "No, I was about to ask you that."

Willow shrugged as they both walked to class, noticing that Xander wasn't there.

"Maybe he overslept or something."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, you never know with him."

They sat down and waited for class to begin, hoping that their friend was okay.

* * *

"I'll meet you in the library, Will."

The redhead nodded and headed in the other direction.

Buffy then made her way into the restroom. She glanced at her reflection, washing her face and letting out a breath. She heard familiar voices and went into a stall, closing the door behind her just as Harmony and another girl entered the bathroom.

"You should have seen this guy, Tiffany. He was sex on legs, and he's in college. That's just what I need; the boys at this school do nothing for me. I need a real man, and Spike definitely qualifies."

Buffy's eyes widened at that.

"What happened after the Bronze?" her friend wondered.

Harmony reapplied her lipstick. "He just got all growly and dragged lame Buffy Summers out of there. I don't even know what that was about. He's probably her babysitter. That would actually explain a lot. There would be no other reason for a guy that sexy to hang out with such a loser."

Tiffany shrugged. "You don't think he might be her boyfriend?"

Harmony laughed. "Are you serious? A freak like her could never get a guy like Spike. If they are together, they won't be for long. He'll forget all about Betty once I'm done with him."

Buffy clenched her fists at her side, wanting more than anything to go out there and show Harmony just who Spike belonged to. She frowned at that thought, knowing he didn't exactly belong to her, but she would sure as hell not let Harmony touch him. He deserved better than that flake, even if it wasn't her. When she heard them both finally leave, she exited the stall and stood in front of the mirror. It was time for things to change.

* * *

"Are you okay, Buffy? You've been really quiet."

She glanced up at her concerned friend. "I'm fine; just have a lot on my mind. I want to find out more about Spike's past, what he was like as a human, stuff like that. Giles would have books about him, right?"

Willow nodded. "He might, especially if your mom was involved with him. Giles would have probably wanted to know all that he could about Spike."

Buffy agreed. "Yeah, I have to find those books. They're probably at the house somewhere, looks like I'll be waiting until he's asleep. I bet they're in his office. I'm never allowed in there," she said with a pout.

Willow didn't think that was the best idea, but there was no stopping Buffy when she put her mind to something.

They both suddenly heard a sound coming from the stacks, exchanging looks with each other and deciding to check it out. What they found had both of their jaws dropping.

"Pinch me, Will. Either this is a really bad dream, or I've entered an alternate dimension."

Willow pinched her arm, not able to take her eyes off of the disturbing sight in front of them. "No, you're definitely not dreaming."

Xander pulled away when he finally noticed them both standing there, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Hey, when did you guys show up?"

Cordelia looked embarrassed to be caught, then appalled when she realized that she was making out with one of the biggest dorks in school. "This never happened," she told them, turning to Xander and thrusting her finger in his face. "If you tell anyone about this, Harris, I will make you regret it." She stomped away from them, leaving Xander to stare after her in shock.

Buffy was the first one to break the silence as she gazed at Willow. "Damn, I owe you ten bucks now."

* * *

"I still can't believe it. Cordelia Chase? What is he thinking? She's like a brunette version of Harmony."

Spike tackled her to the ground, staring down into her eyes. "You're letting yourself get distracted, love. Your mate is a big boy; maybe he really likes the bird. I doubt there's anything you can do about it."

Buffy threw him off of her, getting into a fighting stance. "I refuse to believe that, even Xander has more sense than that. Cordelia's picked on him since the first grade," she stated, dodging the few punches that he threw at her.

"Well, you're not little bits anymore, things change."

Buffy shook her head. "People like that never change; she's a barracuda that would only end up hurting him. We have to make him realize that getting involved with Cordelia would be a really bad idea. She's not even willing to tell anyone about their make out session, just wants Xander to be her dirty little secret. He's better than that, and I won't let that bitch…" she was cut off when Spike's lips crashed down on hers.

He pulled away after a moment, touching his forehead to hers.

It took a lot of effort for Buffy to get her voice to work. "Was that because you wanted to kiss me, or just to shut me up?" she whispered.

Spike grinned. "A little of both," he replied.

Buffy nodded. "Okay," she said, then claimed his lips with hers once again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Buffy spent hours searching through Giles' books later the next night, but wasn't having much luck. She was about to give up, when she suddenly noticed a book on the top shelf that looked to be hidden in the far back. She grabbed the step ladder, making her way to the top and snatching up the book. Buffy sat down and began to read through it, flipping the pages until she came across something of interest. It was hard to focus much on anything, the kiss she shared with Spike the night before coming back to her. They didn't talk much about it afterwards; she just made up some excuse of why she had to get home, giving him a light peck before leaving his crypt. Buffy would have to dwell more on the kiss later, she had other things on her mind at the moment. She stopped on a page when she noticed a picture of Spike, or William as he was known back then. He wore glasses and a tweed suit, his hair being a sloppy mop of curls.

"Wow, the years have really changed him," she said to herself. Buffy read about how he was treated in society, being teased constantly for his poetry. It was the devastation caused by a Cecily Underwood that had him going out into the night, only to meet his death shortly after. She shivered at that, but continued to read on. William was taken by the devil, townspeople had said, claiming they saw him after his supposed burial. His weapon of choice being a railroad spike, which he jammed into the skulls of those that were cruel to him in life. He acquired the nickname of Spike, causing chaos and mayhem wherever he went, along with his three companions. Buffy shut her eyes tight at that knowledge. She knew that he was a killer, but it seemed more real to her now. She was amazed that it only took her mother for him to change his ways. He slaughtered two Slayers, becoming obsessed once he found out about their existence. "Slaughtered two and fell in love with one. I guess stranger things have happened." Buffy wanted to find more about the vampires he hunted with, flipping the pages until she came across another familiar face. She gasped at the sight of the dark haired woman, knowing that face anywhere. "Drusilla," she whispered and continued to read, placing a hand over her mouth when it all became clear. Drusilla was the vampire that made Spike, the one that also murdered her mother. It was about time they had a serious talk.

* * *

"Did you know about this?"

Giles took the book out of her hands, trying to not let his temper get the best of him, knowing that she looked through his private collection. "I knew of her, yes. Did I know that she was responsible for your mother's death? I really couldn't say. I just suspected that it might have been her. You were the only one that witnessed what happened, but you were too young to really understand."

Buffy shook her head. "I understand just fine, I see her face almost every night. That's not something you just forget. Why didn't you ever tell me that she was Spike's sire?"

Giles cleaned his glasses before answering. "I didn't think you needed to know. I assumed he would eventually tell you himself, but he doesn't exactly have any clue that she is responsible for the demise of Elizabeth. If you knew her real identity, there would have been no stopping you from going after her. Drusilla is a very powerful, demented vampire. You're not strong enough to face her."

"You knew this would happen, didn't you? You knew that I would end up falling for Spike, that's why you wanted me to stay away from him. Now I find out that the woman who turned him, the one he loved before my mother, is the same one that killed her. What am I supposed to do?"

Giles didn't know what to tell her. He had hopes that Buffy wouldn't suffer the same fate as Elizabeth, falling for the same vampire, but he wasn't all that surprised by this turn of events. "I believe you will do what is right. Your mother is gone, Buffy. Destroying Drusilla is not going to bring her back, nothing will. It's best if you just put this whole thing behind you and move on. Going up against her would be suicide."

Buffy laughed humorlessly. "If you think I'm just going to give up now, then you don't know anything about me. I'm going to see Spike, don't wait up."

Giles let her walk away, knowing that nothing could stop Buffy once she set her mind on something.

* * *

"So, I did some reading today."

Spike glanced up from his book, putting it down at her sudden appearance. "That's good to hear, do you not know the concept of knocking?"

Buffy ignored him as she stepped further into the crypt. "I wanted to find out more about your past, so I did a little snooping."

Spike had a feeling that he wouldn't like where this conversation was headed. "You could have just asked me if you were that interested."

She shrugged. "You know me; I'm not one for asking first. I read all about Darla, Angelus, and Drusilla. She was the most interesting one of all. I realized that I've seen her face before. The same face when I was a little girl, the one that haunts my dreams almost every night. The same one that fed off of my mother as I watched, dropping her dead body not more than two feet away from me. I would have been next on her list, but I guess she had other plans for me."

Spike's eyes widened at this new piece of information. "Drusilla? She was the one that killed Liz?"

Buffy nodded. "Funny enough, her main reason for that was you. She blamed my mother for your turning against her, for choosing a Slayer as your partner. I remember the words she whispered to me before she vanished. She said that he'll come for me, that we'll be a family again. What exactly did she mean by that?"

Spike shook his head. "Bloody hell if I know, she was off her bird. I gave up trying to figure her out. You can't blame me for this, Buffy. I was off in some other dimension by that time, and I left her way before that."

"I'm not blaming you. The only person I blame is her. Giles thinks I'm in way over my head. That I should just forget about the whole thing and get on with my life, but I can't do that. I'll never be able to sleep again knowing that she's still out there. All the lives she's probably taken, the childhoods she destroyed. The only way for me to ever have peace again, is for her to be dust. I won't rest until I find her."

Spike grabbed her arm before she could leave. "You don't know her like I do, pet. Drusilla is bloody insane, and I mean that literally. You'll get yourself killed if you go up against her. Besides, she could be anywhere. You wouldn't even know where to look."

She ripped her arm out of his grasp. "I have my sources. I'm doing this, Spike. Nothing that you or Giles say will make me change my mind. I don't care that she's your sire, or that you once had this whole other life with her. The next time I see her, she's going to meet the nice pointy end of my stake. You're either on my side or you're not, but I have to do this. If you get in my way, that gem won't stop me from killing you. I'll find a way around it," with that said, she made her way out of the crypt.

Spike ran his fingers through his hair. He knew that he had to make her realize this wasn't the way, but just hoped to do that without meeting a dusty ending. The look in her eyes was like nothing he had seen before. Spike knew that she was very serious, and that thought terrified him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Buffy took a deep breath before knocking on the door, smiling at the woman who opened it.

"Buffy? My dear girl, is that you?"

She nodded. "It's been a while, Maggie."

The woman ushered the young girl into her house, closing the door behind her. "Feels like a lifetime, you've grown up so much. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Buffy sat down and thought about what she wanted to say. Maggie was an old friend of her mother's, she was a very powerful witch and there was no one Buffy trusted more. She helped her mother a lot of times, and now it was her turn. "I'm looking for someone, a vampire. I was hoping you could help me out with that."

"And what do you know about this vampire?" Maggie wondered.

"Her name's Drusilla, she was turned in 1860 by Angelus. She's very pale, long dark hair. I really don't know much."

Maggie's eyes widened. "Oh, I know her very well. Are you sure you want to cross this vampire, Buffy? She's very dangerous."

Buffy was annoyed of all the lectures, but wasn't about to back down. "I can handle one vampire. She can't be any worse than others I've faced before. Do you know where I would be able to find her?"

Maggie closed her eyes and let her mind wander. "I'm sensing evil not far from here, very powerful. I can see Drusilla; she's having a tea party with a doll." Maggie opened her eyes again. "There's something you need to know about this one, she's not very right in the head."

Buffy laughed. "Believe me, I got the memo."

Maggie got back to her concentration. "That abandoned mansion on Crawford Street, that's where she's been hiding."

"That's not far from here. I can't believe she's been this close."

Maggie's eyes grew black for a moment, before returning to their normal color. "You need to be careful, precious. I don't believe she's alone."

Buffy nodded and stood up. "I'll be fine. Thanks again, Maggie. You always come through."

Maggie saw her to the door, grabbing her arm before she could walk out. "Keep in touch; it's been far too long since you visited me."

Buffy gave her a smile and nodded again, then left the house and headed into the cemetery. She stopped suddenly when she felt familiar tingles up her neck, sighing when Spike stepped in front of her. He was the only vampire that she was able to sense before he revealed himself. "Are you following me now?"

He shrugged. "Was just out for a stroll, saw where you were headed. How is the old broad doing?"

"She's fine, we were just catching up. It's been a while."

Spike rolled his eyes. "I'm not stupid, Buffy. I know why you went to see her. I'm telling you, leave Drusilla to me. You're only going to end up hurt, or worse."

Buffy had enough at this point. "It's nice to know that no one has any faith in me. This is my fight, Spike. It doesn't concern you."

He stopped her from walking away. "The hell it doesn't, you don't think I want to avenge Elizabeth as much as you do? There are just other ways to go about it. You need to at least think this through more."

"I've thought it through enough, nothing you say can change my mind. You just have to trust that I know what I'm doing, Spike. She's your sire; you would never be able to kill her, even if you didn't love her anymore. It has to be me."

He was about to respond, but didn't get the chance.

"Look what we have here, boys. Fresh meat," a fledgling commented, two others at his side.

Buffy glared at the unwanted vampires. "Do you mind? We're trying to have a conversation here."

The same vampire chuckled. "Oh, she's a feisty one. I think I'll eat her first."

Spike rolled his eyes. Fledglings were pathetic, especially for not realizing that they were in the presence of a Master vampire. "Let's take care of them first, love. Then we can get back to our chat."

Buffy nodded as they both attacked the three vampires, taking them by surprise. She handled the loud mouth one, while Spike took on the other two. It wasn't long before all three were dust in the wind. She glanced at Spike, that being the first time they'd ever really fought together. Then, as if the fates were out to get them, it started to pour.

Spike grabbed her hand and ran to his crypt, since it was closer than her house. He pulled her inside, shutting the rain out.

Buffy shivered as she wrapped her arms around her body, drenched from head to toe and really wishing that she hadn't worn a white shirt that day.

Spike led her down to the lower level.

Buffy was surprised by how nice he made it up since the last time she was there; it looked like an actual room.

"You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch your death. I have something that you can change into."

Buffy nodded and took the black shirt that he offered to her, raising her eyebrows when he kept staring.

He rolled his eyes and turned around, so she could change in somewhat privately.

"Okay, I'm decent, you can look now."

Spike turned back and noticed that his shirt covered up most of her body, but seeing her like that was enough to make it painfully tight in his pants. "I guess you'll be staying here until the storm passes, you can get under the covers if you want. I'll just go upstairs and let you rest."

Buffy sat down in his bed, speaking up before he could leave. "You don't have to do that, there's plenty of room here."

Spike didn't think lying next to her would be the best idea. "I don't know about that, love."

"Come on, it's just sleeping. I promise to keep my hands to myself," she said, throwing her hands up for him to see.

Spike laughed, even though it wasn't her hands he was worried about. He took his shirt off, figuring that it would be safer to leave his jeans on and slipped into the bed with her.

Buffy moved closer to his side, resting her head against his chest.

Spike wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. It had been a while since he slept with a warm body next to him, and Spike didn't think he would be getting any sleep that night. Buffy's scent and the feel of her was enough to completely drive him crazy. He didn't understand these feelings he had for her, knowing that he never even reacted to Elizabeth in such a way. It was those thoughts that completely confused him as he finally drifted off.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Spike awoke to a warm wetness on his chest. He opened his eyes and looked down, only to see Buffy spreading kisses on his upper body, sometimes using her tongue.

"Love, are you dreaming? Bloody hell, am I dreaming?"

Buffy giggled and glanced up at him. "Nope, not dreaming. You wouldn't wake up, so I had to think of something. Did you know that you sleep like the dead?" She rolled her eyes at herself. "Let's just pretend I didn't say that."

He raised his eyebrows, ignoring her last comment. "That was the best thing you could come up with?"

She shrugged. "Well, it worked. I still have some time to kill before I need to get home. What should we do?"

Spike gulped at the look she was now giving him. "What did you have in mind?"

Buffy trailed a finger down his chest. "I have a few ideas."

Spike had a feeling about where that would lead, but she touched the same finger to his lips before he could say anything else.

"There's just one thing I still need to know. You see me, right? Not my mother?"

He grasped her finger, pressing a kiss to the tip and letting it go. "I only see you."

Buffy smiled at his response, then moved away from him a bit. She grabbed the bottom of the shirt she was wearing and pulled it over her head, throwing it to the ground.

Spike took in an unneeded breath when she was revealed to him, wearing nothing but a lace bra and panties. "Are you sure about this, love? There would be no going back."

She nodded. "I've never done this before, but I think I'm finally ready. I know that I am, and I want my first time to be with you."

Spike didn't know what he did to deserve such a gift, but wasn't about to turn it down. He cupped her cheek, bringing her lips to his in a soft caress.

Buffy pulled away when breathing became an issue, slowly unzipping his jeans and moving back.

"Sorry, sweet, I should have warned you that I don't wear any knickers."

She shook her head. "It's fine, just took me by surprise. You're, uh, bigger than I thought you would be. Would that even fit?"

He chuckled at her innocence, finding her completely adorable. "Oh, it'll fit; you don't have to worry about that."

Buffy nodded and gazed back down at him, taking in a deep breath. "Can I touch it?"

"You can do whatever you want; you'll get no complaints from me."

Buffy took that as a good sign and reached forward, lightly stroking the smooth skin. She felt bolder by the gasps he was making, knowing that she was giving him pleasure. Buffy pulled her hand away a few seconds later. "Was that okay?" she wondered.

Spike gave her a smile. "That was more than okay, baby. We'll take things slow, all right? I won't make you do anything that you don't want to."

Buffy sighed in relief as she started to remove her bra, only to be stopped by a very aroused vampire.

"I'll do that," he told her, lowering one bra strap and pressing kisses to her shoulder. Once the bra was completely off, Spike gently pushed her down on the bed, so that she was now lying before him. He placed a finger into her panties, slipping them off and down her legs. He did the same with his jeans, so there was soon nothing between them. "It hurts a bit the first time, but I'll try to make it as painless for you as possible."

Buffy knew about the pain, having heard other girls talk about their first times at school. At this point, she could handle anything.

Spike could tell that she was ready, surprised by how much she seemed to want this. He felt that he would explode if he wasn't inside of her soon, her scent was intoxicating. He would drown in her if he wasn't careful, and realized that he didn't care to be. He positioned himself over her body, staring deep into her eyes. "This is your last chance to back out, Buffy. I don't want you to have any regrets."

"No regrets. I want you, Spike."

That was all the incentive he needed as he slowly slid into her, realizing when he reached her barrier. "Grab my shoulders, love. Feel free to dig your nails in as hard as you need to, you won't hurt me."

Buffy nodded and did as he said; taking another deep breath once he thrust all the way inside of her. She cried out at the pain, feeling tears sting her eyes.

Spike smothered kisses all over her face, trying to sooth her with his words. "It's okay, sweetheart. The pain won't last much longer, just hold me tighter."

Buffy grasped his shoulders harder, burying her head against his neck and shutting her eyes. The pain started to ease and she lay back, gazing into his eyes, noticing just how blue they were.

"Does it still hurt?"

She shook her head. "It feels better now, don't stop."

Spike grinned and had no intention of stopping. He pounded into her harder, the only sounds in the crypt being that of their slapping bodies. "God, you feel so bloody good. Never been like this before."

Buffy was pleased by that as she used her muscles to squeeze him, suddenly wishing that she had Slayer strength, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, baby, just like that. I'm not going to last much longer."

Buffy gasped as he pounded her harder and faster, running her hands down his back as she was quickly brought to orgasm.

Spike roared out his release right along with her, burying his head against her neck and letting his face change. He struck his fangs in her throat, taking two long pulls of her blood and licking the wound closed afterwards. Spike lay down beside her, thinking about what just happened.

Buffy was breathing heavily as she touched her neck, looking over at him to see that he was avoiding her gaze. "Spike, are you okay?"

He finally glanced back at her, a look of guilt now on his features, which was back to that of the man. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I lost control for a second there. I didn't mean to bite you."

Buffy felt her cheeks heat up when she thought of the bite. "It's fine, I didn't really mind. It actually felt good. Besides, it's not like you took that much blood."

Spike shook his head. "The point is that I lost control. I never wanted that to happen with you."

Buffy was concerned about the expression on his face. "Did something happen with my mom?"

Spike sat up and knew that he had to be honest with her. "It was a few weeks before I left. There was this Ascension; the bloody Mayor of Sunnydale was planning on turning into a huge snake and eating everyone at your mum's graduation. He tried to stop her by getting her all distracted, which involved me being poisoned by an arrow. The only cure being the blood of a Slayer. I refused to bite her, but your mum was stubborn, she forced me to feed from her. I was delirious from the poison and lost control, nearly bloody killing her. She was fine and still managed to stop Wilkins, but I never forgave myself for hurting her, even though I know she didn't blame me. That was one of the reasons I decided to look for the gem, so I would become indestructible and never put her in that position again. I guess I should have known that my plans never work out the way I want them to."

Buffy took his hand in hers, giving it a firm squeeze. "I think that's pretty incredible. I know that I would have done the same thing if I was in my mom's shoes. She loved you and just wanted to prove how much. She didn't blame you for what happened, and neither do I. You're a good man, Spike. The most amazing one that I've ever met, I'm so grateful that I got a chance to know you."

Spike felt his eyes tear up at her speech, knowing that she thought of him as a man and not a monster. It was official; he was completely head over heels in love with this girl. There would be no stopping it now.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Buffy tried to get up slowly as to not disturb Spike's slumber, but there was no such luck.

"Where are you going, love?" 

She glanced back at him. "I have to get home. Giles is bound to wonder where I am by now."

Spike nodded. "What are you going to tell him?"

Buffy shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll think of something."

He grabbed her arm before she could get out of bed and asked her, looking deeply into her eyes. "No regrets, right?"

Buffy leaned closer to him, pecking a kiss on his lips. "No regrets, I'll see you later tonight. You should get more sleep."

Spike watched her walk away and tried to do as she said, but realized it was hard to sleep without her warm body next to him.

* * *

Buffy entered the house a little while later, only to be met by a not very happy Giles.

"Where have you been?"

Buffy let out a sigh at the lecture that was sure to take place. "I fell asleep at Spike's and lost track of time."

Giles gave her a stern look. "Is that his shirt you're wearing?"

Her eyes widened, wracking her head while trying to think of what to say. "We got wet. I mean, you know, from the storm and all. He gave me his shirt to wear and I must have forgotten to change back into mine," she rushed to clarify, lowering her eyes to her wristwatch. "Well, look at the time. I better get ready for school, wouldn't wanna be late." She tried to hurry up the stairs, but didn't get very far.

"The shirt is on backwards."

Buffy shut her eyes when she heard Giles walk away, relieved that he didn't ask her anything that would be too hard to answer and headed upstairs to change for school.

* * *

"You and Spike had sex?"

Buffy blushed at Willow's excitement. "It just happened."

"Wow, so what was it like?" the red head asked.

Buffy felt her cheeks heat up even more. "Amazing, I've never felt anything like it before. Spike was so sweet and caring with me. I've heard other girls talk about their first times, but mine was really special. I asked Giles about my mom's once, apparently hers was with a total dick that didn't even stick around the next day. I don't think I've ever seen him blush and clean his glasses so much in my life. You would think the guy never even had sex before. Okay, I really don't want to think about Giles getting groiny with anyone, but I'm just glad he didn't get all on my case this morning when I came home."

Willow had to agree. "That would have been awkward."

"You have no idea. I'm gonna get me something else to drink, you want anything?"

Willow shook her head, holding up her half full glass of diet coke.

Buffy nodded and made her way over to the bar of the Bronze. She'd promised she would see Spike that night, but really needed some girl time at the moment. A smile formed on her face when she thought of her boyfriend, but it quickly faded as someone bumped into her. She glanced up at the intruder, who only gave her a chilling grin.

"Would you like to dance?"

Buffy rolled her eyes, wishing she could get one night off for a change. "Sorry, but I don't socialize with vampires."

He chuckled. "Now, that would be a lie. Like mother, like daughter."

Buffy's eyes widened when she finally recognized him, taking a step back. "Angelus, I presume."

"Nothing gets by you, does it?"

Buffy reached into her pocket to pull out her stake, but a hard grip on her arm put that on hold.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. We're gonna go for a little walk you and I."

She ripped her arm out of his grasp. "Why the hell would I go anywhere with you?"

Angelus gave her the same chilling grin as before. "Because if you don't cooperate or decide to cause a scene, I'll start feeding on everyone in this club. You wouldn't want to be responsible for the deaths of all these innocent people, would you?"

Buffy cursed him under her breath, but kept silent as she nodded.

His grin grew even wider. "I knew you would see things my way, let's go." 

Buffy followed him out of the club, wondering just what she would be getting herself into.

* * *

She was taken to the mansion where Maggie said that Drusilla was hiding out, and realized just who she was hiding out with.

"Why am I here?" Buffy wondered, trying to keep her voice steady.

"You're here for the party. Miss Edith chose you as the guest of honor."

Buffy watched as a dark haired woman came out of the shadows, realizing that she was finally in the presence of Drusilla. "I'm flattered, really. I guess my invitation just got lost in the mail."

Another woman joined them, looking at Buffy with distaste. "She's a bit of a smart ass, isn't she? We really know how to pick them."

Angelus smiled at her. "Come now, Darla. I think she'll make a great addition. I can already imagine all the fun we'll have with her," he said, trailing a finger down her cheek.

Buffy backed away. "The only thing I plan on doing is dusting all of you." She was met by laughter from all of them.

"That won't be happening, honey. We have big plans for you," Darla explained.

Drusilla clapped her hands in glee. "My Spike will return once he finds out we have his sunshine. We'll finally be a family again."

That angered Buffy. "You stay the hell away from him, bitch. Spike will never come back to you." She was about to charge at Drusilla, but was held back by Angelus.

"You're a bit outnumbered here, little girl. I wouldn't make any sudden movements that could easily get your pretty neck snapped."

Buffy relaxed in his embrace, hating that he was right.

Darla had enough. "I say we cut to the chase and introduce her to the fourth member of our dysfunctional family. I'm sure he'll be to your liking."

Buffy didn't know what she was talking about, when another man decided to grace them with his presence. He looked familiar, but Buffy couldn't place where she had seen him before. 

He shook his vamp face away, giving her a grin. "Hello, cutie."

Buffy gasped in shock when she got a good look at him. She had been a year old the last time he was in her life, only remembering his face from one of her mother's pictures. Buffy would know that face anywhere, though, especially since it looked exactly the same. She was finally face to face with Riley Finn, her father.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"Watcher, I think something's wrong with Buffy."

Giles glanced up the second Spike barged into the house, motioning to the young woman sitting in his living room. "Yes, I'm aware of that."

Spike seemed to notice the girl for the first time, not having really met her before, but knowing who she was. "You're Willow, right?"

She nodded and got back to the point. "I just came over to tell Giles that Buffy kinda disappeared earlier tonight, which I guess is the same reason you're here."

He nodded as well. "She was supposed to be at my crypt over an hour ago, but never showed. What happened?"

Willow took a deep breath. "Buffy went to get a drink, the next thing I noticed was her leaving with some guy. The whole thing seemed a little weird. Buffy wouldn't have just left without telling me, so I assumed he must have been a vampire and she went outside to slay him, but she never came back."

Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "What did this possible vampire look like?"

Willow thought about it. "I didn't get a very good look. He was tall, dark hair, wearing a black jacket, and had this wicked grin on his face like a guy who was about to get lucky or something."

"Big forehead?" he wondered.

Willow shrugged, confused by the question. "I guess you could say it looked a little bigger than your average forehead."

Spike silently cursed, clenching his fists at his side as he spat the one name that was enough to make even Giles' eyes widen in alarm. "Angelus."

* * *

Buffy struggled in Angelus' arms when her father was revealed to her after sixteen years, revealed as a vampire. She didn't know what to think or how to feel about that, but just knew she needed to get out of there.

"Let me go!" she yelled, trying to get free.

Angelus chuckled. "I love it when they try to fight me."

Riley moved over to her. "Let her go, it's my turn to have some fun."

Angelus didn't usually like to take orders, but did as the other vampire said.

As soon as Buffy was free, she ran to the door and was about to throw it open, when her hair was caught in a tight grip. She cried out as she was slammed back into a hard chest, cringing when a tongue licked up her neck.

"My little girl is all grown up now. It's enough to bring a tear to my eye," Riley mocked, placing his hands over her breasts and giving them a squeeze.

Buffy felt like she would throw up at any second, but shut her eyes as she felt his cold hands slip under her shirt. "Please, just let me go," she pleaded, the fight seeming to have left her.

"Now, what would be the fun in that? We're going to be together forever, Buffy. We have a lot of years to make up for, once I make you like me. I promise you'll learn to love it. There is nothing better than knowing you're going to be alive for all eternity, there's no one else I would want to share that with," he whispered, caressing her cheek.

Buffy shuddered at his touch.

"This is all very sweet, but can you take her in the back so I don't have to witness it? The idea of you feeling up your daughter actually doesn't appeal to me," Darla commented.

Riley gave her a grin. "Don't be jealous, babe. You know you're still my number one."

Angelus pulled Darla to his side, glaring at the younger vampire. Sometimes he really regretted turning the farm boy.

Drusilla giggled and spun around. "Everything in my head is singing."

They all rolled their eyes at her antics, even though they should be used to her behavior by now.

"This is all very enlightening, but I have a prior engagement. Don't wait up," Riley explained, pulling Buffy over to the back room.

She seemed to snap out of her daze and stepped hard on his foot, punching him in the jaw once he was distracted.

Riley yelled out and released her, holding his face in the process.

Buffy ran away from him, stopping when Drusilla was suddenly standing in front of her.

"Be in me, deary."

She got caught in her gaze, not able to turn away.

The door to the mansion suddenly burst open.

"Buffy, don't look into her eyes!"

The confused girl shook her head once the familiar voice invaded her mind, looking up to see that Spike was there. Buffy had never been so relieved to see anyone in her life.

Drusilla glared at the intruder. "My William has come for his sunshine." She grabbed Buffy and quickly pulled out a dagger, holding it against her neck. "The sunshine would be lovelier if she was bleeding."

Spike held his hands up, showing that he had no weapons. "Let her go, Dru. This is between us, leave her out of it."

She cackled madly. "Bad dog, she'll burn you. Come back to the darkness, my prince. You don't want to get burned by the light."

He shook his head. "You really are a bloody nut, you know that? It's a shame it had to end this way, but you leave me with no choice."

The mansion was soon invaded by crossbow bolts flying through the air, along with a torch that took the place up in flames.

The vampires yelled and tried to get out before they were caught on fire, a few of the arrows got them, but so far none managed to pierce their hearts.

Giles, Willow, and Xander then ran into the room, standing by Spike.

"I've never seen anyone run that fast," Willow stated.

Spike ignored her, noticing that Buffy was missing.

* * *

Riley yanked Buffy through the cemetery, feeling that the sun was about to rise. He didn't even care about the whereabouts of his vampire family, only wanting to get her out of there. He pulled her over to a mausoleum, slamming her against it.

"I really hate when my plans get interrupted, I guess now I'll have to rush everything. You want to know why I left your mother? Because she finally told me about having a relationship with that vampire, I was too disgusted to want anything else to do with her. I took one look at you asleep in your crib, and I walked away for the last time. It wasn't long after that when I came across Angelus and the others, realizing that being a vampire isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've been watching you for years now, waiting until you were old enough. I was going to wait until you were eighteen, but I got a bit impatient. Now, we'll finally get to be together again. I regretted leaving you, even though it was the right thing at the time. I'll never leave you again."

She shook her head, trying to keep the tears out of her voice. "You're dead, we'll never be together. Don't you see that? I've hated you for as long as I can remember, knowing that you left us. And now to find out that you left us for this? I don't want anything to do with you."

Riley grinned evilly. "I wasn't giving you a choice." He ran his hands over her body. "I forgot to tell you how hot you are. Daddy's a horny bastard, baby. I'm going to screw you raw, then turn you." Riley lowered his head to her neck, spreading kisses up and down the smooth skin, inhaling her sweet scent. He was about to sink his fangs into her throat, when a sharp pain stabbed his chest. He looked down to notice the stake sticking out, then gazed into her eyes. "I love you," he whispered, before exploding in a cloud of dust.

Buffy coughed, slipping the stake back into her pocket and laying her head against the mausoleum as she shut her eyes in exhaustion. It was then that she heard someone running over to her, opening her eyes to see the concerned faces of Spike and her friends. She broke down after that, burying her face in her hands as she finally gave in to the tears.

Spike didn't hesitate as he took her in his arms, running his hands down her back and whispering soothing words to her. "It's okay now, sweetheart. Everything's going to be okay, I've got you."

That seemed to make her sob even harder as she clutched him tighter to her, never wanting to let go.

Willow and Xander exchanged looks as they watched their friend cry her heart out.

Giles felt tears of his own, feeling that he failed Elizabeth by not protecting Buffy the way he promised he would.

All of them were left with the same thought after that, where would they go from here?


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Spike finally managed to calm Buffy down enough when they reached his crypt later that night. She was now sleeping peacefully at his side and he was finding it hard to take his eyes away from her, fearing that she might disappear if he did. He lay down with no intention of falling asleep, but things never went according to plan with him.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

He glanced up to notice a familiar woman sitting on the edge of his bed, a woman that he never thought he would see again. "Elizabeth? Now I know that I'm dreaming."

She gave him a soft smile. "You could say that. I've been watching you for a while now, both of you." Elizabeth moved over to Buffy's side, gazing down at her. "She's grown up to be a great young woman, but it breaks my heart a little every time she goes out to slay. I wanted so much for my daughter to have a normal life, to have more than I ever did. The life of a Slayer is always a short one; she shouldn't have that burden on her shoulders."

"Try telling her that, she's just as stubborn as you. Maybe even more," Spike said with a teasing smile.

Elizabeth smiled in return. "I've missed you, William."

He nodded, feeling a little choked up by the use of his name. "I've missed you, too. You do know why I left, don't you? I never meant to hurt you, love. I had every intention of coming back to you."

She caressed his cheek. "I know, but I think it worked out for the best. You two make far more sense than we ever did. She's your equal in every way. Buffy has a hard road ahead of her, Spike. I'm counting on you to protect her."

"Till the end of the world, you have my word on that."

That gave Elizabeth some hope. "You have to make her realize that vengeance isn't the answer. She isn't ready to face Drusilla on her own, I think what happened tonight is proof of that. No amount of revenge will bring me back; it would only get her killed."

Spike tightened his hold on Buffy. "I won't let anything happen to her, never again."

Elizabeth gave him one final smile. "You're going to be very good for her." She kissed her fingertips, then pressed them to his lips as she faded away.

Spike opened his eyes and realized that she was gone. He wondered if it was a dream, or if Elizabeth was really there somehow. It felt so real. Spike was pulled out of his thoughts by Buffy's mumbling. He leaned closer to her, touching his lips to her forehead.

A smile formed on her face. "Spike," she whispered.

He was delighted by the fact that she seemed to be dreaming about him. "It's time to wake up, love."

She kept her eyes closed, but moved the hand that was resting on his chest lower.

Spike shut his eyes, opening them a few seconds later. "I know you're awake now."

She shook her head, eyes remaining closed. "No, I'm not."

He moved on top of her, forcing her eyes to open. "There she is."

A look of pure lust formed on her features. "Please, I need you," she pleaded, thrusting up into his erection.

Spike gazed down into her eyes. "I know what you need, baby."

Their clothes were off in an instant.

Spike didn't waste any time with foreplay as he slowly slid inside her.

Buffy gasped, not quite used to the feel of him yet.

"God, yes, squeeze me just like that. You feel so bloody good."

Buffy was happy to oblige. 

Spike stayed buried inside of her as he switched positions, so she was now the one on top.

Buffy placed her hands on his chest as she bounced on him.

Spike had his hands around her waist as he thrust further into her.

Buffy could feel that she was close, throwing her head back once her orgasm hit. She lay down on his chest, breathing heavily.

Spike ran his hands down her back, feeling himself harden again.

Buffy looked up at him in shock. "Are you serious?"

He grinned. "There's a lot to be said about vampire stamina."

She matched his grin with one of her own.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Okay, am I seeing things, or is Xander and Cordelia actually making out in public?"

Willow shrugged. "I guess it's not a secret anymore. We're happy for him, right? Sure, I can't stand her most of the time, but I feel that it's our job as the best friends to be happy for him." 

Buffy nodded. "Of course we're happy for him. I mean, it's Xander's life. He can be with whoever he wants to. I'm dating a vampire, it's not like I can really judge."

"Well, at least you guys have someone."

Buffy patted her friend on the back. "You'll find someone, Will. It's only a matter of time. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

Willow glanced away from Buffy's gaze, not knowing how to tell her friend that it might not be a guy she was interested in.

* * *

Buffy was glad that the day was finally over as she headed to her locker, noticing Harmony and her sheep laughing in the distance, having a feeling that it had something to do with her. The sniggering seemed to stop just as Buffy looked up to see that Spike entered the school and was moving in her direction. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked once he reached her side.

"I missed my girl, and figured I could give you a ride home today."

Buffy smiled as he leant down to give her a kiss on the lips. Once he pulled away, she glanced over to see the look of revulsion and jealousy on Harmony's face. It was priceless and brought another smile to hers. "You really need to stop by more often, especially if you're going to keep greeting me like that."

Spike chuckled and took her hand in his, leading her by the shocked popular crowd and out of the school.

Buffy wondered if it was like this for her mother, but then banished that thought when she remembered that her mom was part of the popular crowd. The gentle squeezing of her hand pulled her attention back to the present as she gazed at her gorgeous boyfriend. Yeah, she could definitely get used to this.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"This is nice, going to the beach during the day just like a normal couple."

Spike smiled at the blonde next to him. "I suppose it is at that, but you do know I'll never really be normal."

Buffy shrugged. "Normal is overrated, anyway. I think I would get pretty bored of it after a while. Besides, I go out and slay monsters almost every night, normal just isn't in the cards. No matter how much my mom may have wanted it for me, it's just not gonna happen."

Spike held her hand tighter as they watched a few children play in the ocean waves. He saw the way she looked at the little ones, knowing that even if she didn't want normal now, some day she would. Where would he fit in then?

* * *

He pressed his forehead to hers, panting heavily for probably the first time.

"Why are you breathing so hard?" she whispered.

Spike grinned and pecked the tip of her nose. "It's hard not to when I'm with you."

Buffy blushed, but kept her gaze locked on his.

"Am I crushing you?"

She shook her head. "No, I like having you there. It makes me feel safe."

Spike felt touched. "You're always safe with me." He rolled off of her after a moment, lying by her side.

Buffy moved closer to him, resting her head against his chest. "I wish I could stay here forever. Going home is the last thing I wanna do, but I have school tomorrow," she said with distaste.

Spike chuckled. "I could imagine how horrible that must be for you."

"I hate it there, it's not like it was for my mom. Even though she was the Slayer, she was still popular and had tons of friends. I'm always known as the school freak. Okay, so I started a fire in the gym once, but that was so not my fault."

Spike didn't have to look at her to know that she was pouting. "You want me to kill them for you?"

Buffy knew he wasn't serious, but actually considered it. "Nah, that might not be the best idea. I'll just have to deal for a little while longer. I've never been so relieved to be a senior."

"Do you have college plans?"

That was the last thing Buffy expected to hear. "I haven't really thought about it. I always planned to leave here after graduation, but now I'm not too sure. There's always UC Sunnydale, I figured that even I could get accepted there."

Spike glanced down at her. "I'm sure you could get accepted somewhere better than that. There's a whole world out there, why would you want to be stuck in this place?"

Buffy met his gaze. "Because this is where you are," she told him.

Spike let out a sigh and sat up. "We need to talk, Buffy."

She didn't like where this was going. "Nothing good ever comes after that."

He ignored her comment and got right to the point. "You're a bright girl; I know that more than anything. I would hate to feel that I'm holding you back from what you're really meant to do."

"Where is this coming from? I never said that you were holding me back, and how do you know that going to UC Sunnydale isn't what I'm meant to do? Maybe that's what I want."

Spike shook his head. "I think I know you better than that by now. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Giles is right. You're meant for so much more Buffy, more than this town and more than me. You should be out there having a normal college experience, not worrying about vampires and demons. That's never going to happen if you stay here."

She laughed humorlessly. "Oh, I think I get it. This is your way of saying that you don't want to be with me, right? You know, you could just say that instead of making up all that crap."

Spike grabbed her arm before she could get up. "That's not what I meant and you know it. Do you know how bloody hard it is for me to say this? I've thought a lot about it recently and I can never give you what you want, don't you understand that? I can't give you a marriage, children, a real life."

She pulled her arm out of his grasp. "What gives you the right to think you can just make all those decisions for me? I never said anything about wanting that, and children? I'm only seventeen, that's the last thing I want. I…I don't even like kids."

He smiled sadly. "I know that's not true, love. You may not want that right now, but you will when you're older. You'll want to have it all. I wish I could be the one to give it to you, but you know that I can't. I just think you need to realize this, before things go any further with us."

Buffy felt her eyes tear up as she moved away from him and started to get dressed. She turned back to him one last time. "It's a little too late for that. I'm in love with you," she said, tears streaming down her face as she ran out of the crypt.

If Spike's heart was beating, it would have broken right then.

* * *

"Buffy, are you all right? Can I get you something to drink?"

She shook her head, looking up at Giles standing in her doorway and wiping her eyes of the tears. "No, I just wanna be left alone."

He was about to respond, but never got the chance.

"I don't need an 'I told you so,' okay? I know that I was stupid to trust him. I should have known what I was getting into, but I didn't care. Just please, don't make me feel any worse than I already do."

Giles nodded. "I wouldn't do that, Buffy. It pains me to see you hurting. If you want to stay home tomorrow, I think one day wouldn't hurt."

For once, that was the last thing she wanted to do. "I'll be fine; I think I just need to get some sleep. It'll be better tomorrow."

Giles knew that she was only saying that for his benefit, but just nodded again and left her room.

Buffy felt more tears fall from her eyes when he closed the door. She turned to her side, clutching Mr. Gordo to her chest and crying into his soft fur. At this point, Buffy didn't think she would ever stop.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Buffy was a new woman when she got up the next day. No more tears, no more feeling sorry for herself, she was done with all of it. If Spike didn't want to be with her anymore, then she would find someone who did. There were plenty of fish in the sea. It was time to see what else was out there. Buffy decided that a change was definitely in order. No more baggy clothes to hide her figure, so she searched through her wardrobe and came across a red halter top and black skirt that left little to the imagination. She got dressed and checked herself out in the mirror, a smile on her face as she applied some make up. Buffy curled her hair, letting the blonde strands fall down her shoulders. When she was pleased with her reflection, she grabbed a long coat from her closet to hide the outfit from Giles and headed out of her room. For the first time ever, she was actually looking forward to school.

* * *

As soon as Buffy entered the school, she made her way to the bathroom. She disposed of her jacket, checking herself out one last time before walking back out into the halls. The new look got her the response she was hoping for, girls and guys were staring at her as she headed to her first class, with more confidence than she was used to. It was definitely going to be a good day.

* * *

"You're catching flies, Xander."

He picked his jaw up from the floor, still shocked by the sight of his best friend. "Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to show up looking like that. What brought this on?"

Buffy shrugged. "I'm a senior, figured it was time for a change. I'm sick of being the same boring Buffy. I want to actually get noticed for once, and not just because I'm the girl that started a fire in the gym."

Willow stared at the blonde in concern. "You're not boring, Buffy. You don't have to change who you are to impress anyone."

"Come on, Will. If Buffy wants to start dressing up more, who are we to stop her?"

The red head rolled her eyes, having a feeling that he wouldn't agree with her no matter what she said.

Buffy smiled at him. "So, are we going to the Bronze tonight? I'm in the mood for some fun." She glanced around the cafeteria, a grin forming on her face when she saw Owen Thurman checking her out. He was one of the most popular guys in school. "I'll catch you guys later," she commented, then made her way over to the jock.

Willow stared after her in shock; the Buffy that she knew would never have had the guts to do that before. She wondered what could have happened to bring on this sudden change.

* * *

Spike waited outside Buffy's school for what felt like forever. He really needed to talk to her. His eyes widened when he finally saw her walk out, three boys at her side that he didn't recognize. Spike got a good look at what she was wearing, not believing she was the same girl that left his crypt last night. He headed over to her when she was finally alone, taking in the lack of surprise on her face to seeing him there.

"What's with the new look?" he wondered.

She gave him a bored expression. "How do you know this is a new look? Maybe I've always been like this; I've just been hiding who I really am the last few years. What are you even doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

Buffy shook her head. "You said all you needed to last night; I think we should just part ways. You were right, there's really no future with us. I've gotten a lot of interest from guys today, I should really think about giving one of them a chance. I promised to meet them all at the Bronze tonight. Thank you for making me realize what I've been missing out on."

He grabbed her arm. "What's gotten into you?"

She ripped her arm out of his grasp, trying not to give in to the tears that wanted to escape. "Where should I start? My mom was murdered in front of me, my dad walked out on us, he got turned into a vampire, tried to rape me, and the one guy I thought I was in love with wants nothing to do with me. Does that about sum it up? I'm sick of everything. I feel like I'm seventeen going on thirty. I'm done with that life, and I'm done with vampires. That includes you."

Spike let her walk away after that, once again wishing that he would burst into flames.

"Well, we meet again. Do you keep coming here to see me? That's so sweet."

Spike groaned when Harmony made her presence known. "I came here to see Buffy," he explained, wishing the chit would get the hint already.

Harmony didn't seem to be fazed by that. "She like totally turned into a slut, I think she's trying to fit in or something. Someone should have told her that it's not possible for freaks to ever fit in."

Spike was about to lose what little patience he had left. "Get this through your thick skull, you irritating bint. Buffy is ten times the woman you are. You're just a spoiled little princess that can't seem to get a clue when a bloke is not interested in you. I don't get involved with little girls, do you understand that? Or do I need to use smaller words?"

Harmony crossed her arms over her chest, not used to guys talking to her in such a way. "What do you call Buffy, then?" she asked snottily.

"She's not a little girl," he replied and walked away from the school, suddenly needing a drink.

* * *

Willow and Xander were sitting at the Bronze later that night, gaping at Buffy in complete shock as she danced with a few different guys, some of them looking like they were already in college.

"I'm really getting worried about Buffy. She's not acting like herself."

Xander agreed, but couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. "Do you think it has something to do with Spike?"

Willow shrugged. "She didn't tell me anything, so I couldn't say. Speaking of Spike, he just walked in."

Xander noticed the vampire as well, and he did not look happy. "I think we're about to find out."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Buffy rolled her eyes when Spike sauntered over to her, putting on a bored expression.

"I know what you're doing, but it won't work."

She shrugged. "I'm just doing what you wanted, having a normal life. I'm sorry if you thought I would spend all my time pining over you, but I'm not. I've moved on, to the living."

Spike glared at her retreating back, heading over to the bar and taking a long drink of Bourbon.

Buffy was a little disappointed when he didn't follow her, but just put on a smile as she joined her friends. "Come on, you guys. I'm out there all by myself," she said with a pout, grabbing Xander's arm and pulling him on the dance floor.

Willow's eyes widened as Buffy moved with him seductively to the music. She could tell that Xander was just as surprised, but not disappointed.

Spike clenched his fists at his side, knowing that she was just trying to make him jealous, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. "Bloody chit is going to be the death of me," he said to himself, swallowing the rest of his Bourbon down and trying not to let her little display get to him.

* * *

Buffy rubbed up against Xander, feeling him harden at her touch.

"Oh, is someone getting excited? Do you still have a crush on me, Xand?"

He gulped. "Why would you think that? I'm a guy; it doesn't take much to get me excited. Buffy, are you sure you're feeling okay? You've been acting weird lately."

She beamed up at him. "I feel great. I'm having fun for the first time in my life. What could be wrong with that? Spike was right; a dead guy can't give me what I need," Buffy claimed huskily, cupping his crotch and giving him a light squeeze.

Xander winced at the contact, wondering just what she was playing at.

"I bet you can, though. I could ride you at a gallop, until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I could squeeze you until you popped like warm champagne, and you'd beg me to hurt you just a little bit more. Admit it, Xander, you know you wanna dance."

He had never been so turned on in his life, but knew something was very wrong with this picture.

Before Buffy could say anything else, she was ripped away from Xander and found herself staring into the furious face of a brunette.

"What the hell are you doing with my boyfriend?!"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "We're just dancing, Cordy. Although, I bet you've never caused such a reaction in him before. Let's face it, you just can't satisfy him the way I can. Did you know that he used to be in love with me? For two years I was all he could think about. You'll never be able to measure up."

Xander held his hands up. "Whoa, that's enough. What's happened to you, Buffy? This isn't you."

"You mean I'm not the same loser Buffy that you're used to? Maybe I like the way I am now and if you can't handle it, that's really not my problem."

Cordelia scoffed. "God, you're really campaigning for bitch-of-the-year, aren't you?"

She grinned. "As defending champion, you nervous?"

It was at that moment when Spike walked over to them, taking Buffy by the arm. "All right, let's get out of here before you lose what little friends you have."

Buffy let him lead her out of the Bronze, yanking her arm out of his grasp once they were outside. "I'm not a child," she spat.

Spike laughed. "That's funny, because you're certainly acting like one right now. We're gonna talk about this, love. Something else is going on here; I doubt this attitude is just because I ended things."

"I'm sick of everyone getting on my case just because I decide to act a little different than what they're used to. This is me, maybe it always has been. Besides, it's like you said. I'm a tramp, right? I might as well act the part."

Spike rubbed his temples. "That isn't what I meant. Buffy, you really have me worried."

She shrugged. "Well, I'm fine, nothing to worry about. I'm sorry that I'm not perfect like my mother. I bet she never screwed up once in her life. I'm not her, and I never will be. If you didn't want to be with me because you're still not over her, you should have just said so. Instead of making up all that crap about you not wanting to be with me because I deserve a normal life. Did you give my mom that same speech? No, you went to get a gem implanted in your head, so you could be what she deserved. It was never about me, you just decided to settle because you can't be with her anymore. I'm so tired of coming in second."

"Do you honestly believe any of that? I had the same doubts when I was with your mother. I always thought she deserved better than a demon, but she would never listen when I tried to tell her that. You may be nothing like her, but you have the same stubbornness."

Buffy rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night. "Are you done now? I should be getting home."

Spike blocked her way. "I'm nowhere near done yet. You think I don't bloody want you? That I don't spend every day and night thinking about you?" He pushed her against the wall, rubbing his hard on against her clothed entrance. "You can feel how much I want you, Buffy. That's never going to stop. You're all I bloody think about, dream about. You're in my gut, my throat. I'm drowning in you, Summers. I'm drowning in you," he whispered the last part, his eyes shutting when she rubbed up against his erection.

Buffy could clearly see the pleasure written all over his face. She couldn't take it anymore and grabbed the lapels of his coat, pulling him closer and smashing her lips to his. It was hard, passionate, and unlike any of the other kisses they've shared before.

Spike gave back just as good as he got, shoving her harder against the wall, but being careful not to hurt her. The last thing he'd planned on doing was taking her in the alley behind the Bronze, but he couldn't deny her anything. Spike knew they still had much to talk about, but right now, nothing else seemed to matter. He was forever hers.


	18. Chapter 18

I'm out of town at the moment, but still wanted to post this last chapter. The updates will be a bit slower now since I'm dealing with writer's block, but I'm hoping it wouldn't take too long. I hope those that are still reading would stick with me. Thanks for the reviews!

**Chapter 18**

Buffy changed their positions, slamming him against the wall and moving to unzip his pants. She stroked him up and down.

Spike let out a surprised gasp, but stared into her eyes before he asked. "Buffy, is this really what you want?"

She didn't answer; instead giving him a sultry look as she squeezed him for all that he was worth.

He was beyond turned on now. No words were needed as Spike yanked her towards him, smashing his lips to hers in a hard kiss. He was suddenly very glad that she was wearing a skirt, making it easier for him to lift it up to bunch around her hips and thrust into her.

Buffy threw her head back, moaning and gazing up at the night sky as she hung on to him.

Spike turned them back around, pounding her into the wall. "That's it, baby. God, I'll never get enough."

Buffy moved to his ear, taking the lobe into her mouth and sucking on it. She spread kisses up and down his throat, knowing that was a sensitive spot for him.

She was driving him absolutely crazy, but it was all over when her cute little teeth bit into his neck.

Spike roared out his release as he drove into her, feeling pleased by the mewling noises she was making and the way her fluttering walls contracted around him.

Buffy came down from her high, her eyes widening as she seemed to just notice what happened and where they were. She glanced away from him, pulling her skirt down and fixing her hair as best she could. "I…I have to get home."

Spike grabbed her arm. "Buffy…" he started, but stopped at the sight of the tears now glistening in her eyes.

"Please, just let me go."

He did as she said, watching with a heavy heart as she walked away from him.

* * *

"You expect for me to let you talk to her after she came home in hysterics the other night?"

Spike took in a deep, unneeded breath. "We just had a misunderstanding. I tried to do what I thought was right for her, but I was a bloody idiot. She may not be a Slayer, but her life will never be normal. I wanted to give that to her, but I'm selfish. Being away from her these last couple of days has nearly killed me. I just need to see her."

Giles thought it over. "You love her." It wasn't a question.

"I never thought I could love anyone this much. I thought I had that with Elizabeth, but it never felt like this. What I feel for Buffy, it's like nothing I've ever known before."

Giles took his glasses off to clean them, placing them back on his face a few seconds later. "And does she know of your feelings?"

Spike shook his head. "I've been a bloody coward, but I'm not ready to give her up. Not for anything and if she'll give me another chance, I'll never let her go again."

Giles didn't know why, but he believed the vampire. "Well, you might just get your chance."

Spike noticed that Giles was looking to the stairs, turning to see that Buffy was standing there. He silently cursed himself for not noticing her heartbeat again. Spike was so busy staring at the vision before him that he didn't even realize Giles left. "How much did you hear?"

Buffy took a few steps towards him. "Pretty much all of it, you know how nosy I can be."

He smiled. "I do at that. Buffy, I'm sorry for everything. What happened outside the Bronze, I never wanted things to go that far. I mean, I did, but it shouldn't have happened there. You deserve better than to be taken in an alley."

Buffy blushed when she thought back to their last encounter. "I didn't mind it so much."

"You looked pretty upset to me."

She nodded. "Not because of what we did, I was just confused. You tell me that you want me to have a normal life and when I go out and do that, you don't approve. You act like some jealous ex-boyfriend when you're the one that broke up with me in the first place. And then when we got outside, what you said just really confused me. I wasn't planning for that to happen, either, but I'm not disappointed that it did. I don't care about a normal life. Like you said, I'll never really be normal. I believe in living life to the fullest, enjoying whatever time you have in the world. I want that time, every day for as long as I live to be with you. I love you so much. I know I'm really young and some people might not think I even know what love is, but there is nothing that makes more sense to me. You're the one, Spike. I know that more than anything."

Spike didn't even realize he was crying, until he felt the wetness on his cheeks. He was before her in an instant, cupping her chin and bringing his lips to hers in a soft caress. When breathing became an issue, Spike pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, too."

Buffy smiled against him. "That works out nicely, then."

He wrapped his arms around her waist, gazing into her eyes. "What do you say about spending the night at my crypt?"

"I don't know. It's a school night. Giles might not go for that."

Spike turned to the kitchen. "Watcher!" he bellowed.

Giles came out in a hurry. "Must you be so loud? I have neighbors."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Buffy's staying with me tonight, just thought you should know."

His eyes widened. "It's a school night, and I happen to know she wouldn't be getting any sleep at your place."

"She'll be getting plenty, and I'll make sure she gets off to school in the morning. We really need to be alone right now." Spike caught the look on the other man's face and tried to amend his comment. "To talk and stuff, yeah, have a lot to talk about."

Buffy was trying not to laugh at his side, but it was a losing battle.

Giles waved his hand in the air. "Fine, but you better make sure she gets to school."

Spike nodded. "You don't have to worry about that. Come on, love." He pulled her over to the front door, but was surprised when she stopped.

Buffy headed over to Giles and gave him a hug, showing without words how much she really appreciated all that he had done for her.

Giles was stunned when he watched them leave, a small smile forming on his face. For once, he wasn't worried about Buffy. He knew that she would be well taken care of.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"What do you think they're planning?"

Spike stared down at her. "What do you mean, love?"

"Angelus and the others, it has been way too quiet these last few weeks. I just know they're planning something."

He thought about it. "Or maybe they realized they can't win and left town."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "If you actually believe that, you don't know them very well. Their first plan may have backfired, but they're not finished with me yet. I just wish they would make a move already. I won't be at peace again, until they're all dust." A thought suddenly occurred to her as she gazed at her boyfriend. "If I can't stake Drusilla, would you be able to do it? I know it's a lot to ask. I read the books; I know how devoted you were to her. If you can't do it, just tell me and…" She was cut off by his lips descending onto hers.

Spike pulled away after a moment, caressing her cheek softly. "I would stake her in an instant, you don't even have to ask. She's the past, you're my future."

Buffy smiled in relief. "That's good to know. Not that I was worried."

He smiled as well. "I'm sure you weren't. Together, we can take on anything. Maybe even save the world."

* * *

"Hey, Buffy, how's it going?"

The blonde looked up, confused as to why Harmony Kendall would be talking to her. "Um, nothing, what's up with you?"

Harmony shrugged. "Same as always, cheerleading, being popular, you know how it is. Well, I guess you wouldn't. I was just curious, how did you get a hot guy like Spike? Did he lose a bet or something?"

Buffy tried not to let those words hurt her, ignoring the giggling airheads that stood behind the head cheerleader. "You know, Harmony? Green is really not a good look on you. It's sad, actually."

Harmony glanced down at her outfit, then back at Buffy. "What are you talking about, freak? I'm not even wearing green. I would never be caught dead in that."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You really don't have a brain in that head, do you? Face it, Spike just goes for maturity and you lack that. All you care about is cheerleading and the latest fashions. Why don't you give it a rest and stick with one of the losers that go to this school? Spike is way out of your league." She walked away, leaving Harmony to stare after her in shock.

* * *

Buffy headed timidly over to her usual table at lunch, noticing that Willow and Xander were already there. She sat down and gave them a small smile, deciding that she would have to be the one to break the ice.

"I owe you guys an apology for my behavior lately. I don't know what got in to me, but I should have never acted like that." She turned her attention on Xander. "I'm sorry about what happened at the Bronze. For the dance and what I said, I was way out of line. It'll never happen again, I hope Cordelia wasn't too upset."

Xander shook his head. "Nah, it's Cordy, she doesn't let anything get to her. I had to explain that you were just having a bad night. It's cool, Buff, we're good."

She was relieved to hear that.

"Is everything okay now?" Willow wondered.

Buffy nodded eagerly. "Much better, I'm going out with Spike tonight on an official date."

Willow flashed her a smile. "That's great, I'm glad everything worked out."

Buffy couldn't agree more, but was just beyond thankful to know that she didn't lose her best friends.

* * *

"This place is amazing. Are you sure it's not too much?"

Spike shook his head. "Only the best for my girl."

Buffy sat down and gazed in awe at the extravagant restaurant. She wondered if he ever took her mother to such places, but decided that she didn't really care to know.

They spent the next hour or so sharing stories about their childhoods as they ate.

Buffy laughed when Spike relived his human days. "I can't believe you did that."

He shrugged. "The bloke had it coming for making fun of my hair."

"God, please tell me you have pictures?"

Spike grinned. "Nothing you will ever see."

She pouted, but figured a change of subject was in order. "So, do you still write poetry?"

If it was possible for him to blush, he would have at that. "Sometimes, when I get inspired. I don't like to do it often."

"Since I can't see any pictures, would you let me see one of your poems?"

Spike was hoping she wouldn't ask that. "I don't know if that's such a good idea, pet."

Buffy tried not to pout that time, but it was no use. "Why not?"

He decided to be honest with her. "Because most of them are about you."

That was the last thing she expected to hear. "Really? You wrote about me?"

"Don't get too flattered, Buffy. They're bloody awful."

She wouldn't believe that, but decided to drop the topic. For now, anyway. Buffy again wondered if he ever wrote poetry for her mother, but banished that thought. She had to stop comparing; no good could come out of that. Spike was with her now. That was the only thing that mattered.

"You ready to go?" he asked her.

Buffy nodded and let him take her hand, wondering what else he had planned for the evening.

* * *

She gasped when Spike led her to the beach, where she saw that a picnic was prepared.

Spike lowered her down on the blanket he put there, pouring them both a glass of champagne. "I know you're underage, but a little won't hurt. Just don't tell Giles, I don't want any lectures about corrupting minors."

Buffy smiled. "Your secret is safe with me. So, is this why you didn't order us dessert at the restaurant?"

Spike nodded. "I figured this would be a much better setting." He then revealed a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries.

Buffy's mouth watered at the sight of them.

Spike took one of the strawberries out, holding it before her.

She wrapped her lips around the juicy fruit, sucking it into her mouth.

Spike felt himself harden at just that one act. He fed her a few more, taking one for himself as they both gazed out at the ocean.

"It's so beautiful here at night."

He agreed. "Unlike during the day when it's crowded, you can really enjoy it at this time."

Buffy got a wicked grin on her face. "Ever been skinny-dipping, Spike?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

"What's going on in that mind of yours? Why would you ask that?"

Buffy shrugged, the smirk still plastered on her face. "I was just wondering if you were up for it."

Spike shook his head. "The water is too bloody cold. Giles would stake me right and proper if you got pneumonia."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a wuss, it's not like he could really kill you. Besides, I never get sick. I don't intend to start now, but if you don't want to join me, that's just fine. I'll have to swim all by my lonesome, then."

His eyes widened when she stood up and started to undress. The crazy bint was actually going through with it. He took off after her when she ran into the water, giggling along the way as she went under. Spike shook his head at her playfulness; she was just full of surprises. A minute went by and she had yet to emerge from the water, a fear like no other forming inside of him. "Buffy!" he yelled out, but couldn't see her. He had his clothes off in an instant, diving into the ocean to search for his beloved. Spike was starting to panic when he still couldn't find her, letting out an unmanly squeal when he felt something grab his leg, or rather someone. He glared at the laughing blonde, who suddenly appeared in front of him. "That wasn't bloody funny. I was worried that you drowned, don't scare me like that again."

Buffy sobered up when she saw the look of concern in his eyes, laced with a hint of fury. She wrapped her arms around him, not letting him pull away when he tried. "I'm sorry, Spike. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted you to lighten up. I'm a really good swimmer; there was nothing to worry about."

He relaxed in her embrace. "Still, this is Sunnydale. You never know what could be in here with us."

She nodded. "You're right; I've been a very bad girl. Maybe you should punish me."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? You should be taught a lesson. After all, it's not smart to tease the Big Bad."

Buffy tried not to laugh at the name he gave himself. "The biggest and baddest there is." She lowered her hand to cup his erection under the water, giving it a light squeeze. "Definitely big," she stated with a leer.

Spike matched her look with one of his own. "Vixen," he commented, then smashed his lips to hers in a hard kiss, slipping his tongue inside to massage hers.

Buffy gasped when breathing became an issue, throwing her head back to gaze at the night sky as Spike started to spread kisses up and down her neck.

Spike positioned himself at her entrance and slowly slid inside. "God, it gets better every time," he whispered, making his thrusts hard and fast.

A wave crashed into them, but they were too lost in each other to notice.

"Please, Spike, I won't last much longer."

That's what he was hoping for as he plunged further inside of her, hitting all the right spots.

Buffy cried out when she reached release, digging her nails into his shoulders.

Spike was breathing heavily, which was an odd thing for a vampire to do. He touched his forehead to hers as they both came down from their high.

Buffy stared into his eyes. "Okay, note to self, more ocean fun in the near future."

He chuckled and placed a peck on the tip of her nose. "You'll get no complaints out of me."

"Well, I do have one complaint. I'm seriously freezing."

Spike was about to respond, but she clapped a hand over his mouth before he could get a chance to.

"Not one word."

* * *

They arrived back at the house about an hour later, Buffy all snug in Spike's duster. She almost hated to give it back to him.

Spike took his coat from her, running his hands through her still damp hair. "I better not come in. Giles might be waiting with a crossbow since I had you out past curfew."

Buffy smiled. "Thank you for tonight, I had a great time."

Spike cupped her cheek, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "There's plenty more where that came from. You best get inside now. It's time for all little girls to be in bed." He amended himself when he caught the look on her face. "Young adults."

"Yeah, that better be what you meant." She gave him one last kiss, then headed into the house.

Spike watched her go, turning around to head over to his tree outside her window. He saw her light turn on, then her head appear out of the window a second later. Spike blew her a kiss. "I love you," he claimed, but not loud enough to wake the neighbors.

A bright smile lit up her features. "I love you, too." With a final wave, she went back inside her room and closed the windowpane.

Spike remained there, until he saw her light turn off. Satisfied that his girl was safe for another night, he made his way back to his crypt.

* * *

"Hey, what's with the giddy expression?"

Buffy was broken out of her Spike-induced thoughts by the presence of Willow. "Sorry, I just can't stop thinking about him."

Willow smiled and sat across from her friend. "You really have it bad. That must have been some date."

Buffy blushed when she thought back to the previous night. "You have no idea."

"I think I have some idea," she commented when a familiar girl walked over to their table and gave a shy smile. Willow decided to introduce them once she reached their side. "Buffy, this is Tara; she's in my History class. Tara, this is my best friend Buffy, the one I told you about."

Buffy smiled at the newcomer. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

She smiled as well. "I…It's nice to meet you, too. I…I've heard a lot about you."

Willow motioned for Tara to sit down next to her. "She just moved here and doesn't really know a lot of people yet."

"Well, you're welcome to hang with us, the more the merrier."

Tara was taken by surprise, not expecting the blonde to be so cheery.

Willow noticed and whispered in her ear. "New boyfriend," was all she said.

Tara nodded in understanding, realizing that she finally liked the place her father decided to move to.

* * *

Buffy was humming to herself as she perused through the books in the library. She usually always found herself there during her study period. Buffy nearly screamed when a hand reached out and pulled her behind the stacks, slapping at Spike's chest once she realized it was him.

"What are you doing here?"

Spike gave her his trademark smirk. "I was lonely without you, so I decided to pay you a visit. I knew you were bound to show up here at some point."

Buffy gasped when he trailed a finger under her skirt, moving her panties out of the way. "We can't do this here." She meant to sound more challenging, but it didn't come out that way.

"We can be very quiet, this place is practically deserted."

Buffy bit her lip at his actions. "You might be able to keep quiet, but I can't make any promises."

"Don't be such a wuss," he said, throwing her words back at her.

Buffy glared at him and grabbed the lapels of his coat, crushing her lips to his.

He wrapped his arms around her and gave back as good as he got.

Buffy lowered the zipper on his pants, taking him inside of her with one quick thrust. She pulled away after a moment, gazing into his blue eyes.

"There's my girl," he whispered, pounding harder into her. Spike could tell when she was close, smashing his lips to hers as she let out what was sure to be a pretty loud scream. He held her close once she came, trailing his hands down her back. "You are so amazing."

"You're not so bad yourself," she responded against his chest, pulling away to straighten herself out.

Spike tucked himself back into his pants, running his fingers through his hair. He was about to answer, but a gasp had them turning around to see the shocked face of Harmony standing there. The look she was giving them proved that she knew just what they were doing.

Buffy grinned and grabbed Spike's arm, pulling him by the cheerleader and not even bothering to grace her with a second glance.

Harmony was still staring at the spot they were once standing, Buffy's voice floating back to her.

"Who would have thought that Harmony actually knew where the library was?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"I'm afraid we may be facing the end of the world."

Buffy jumped up from the couch. "I knew it; things were getting way too quiet around here. Of course there would be another Apocalypse around the corner. Where's the Slayer when you need one?"

Spike pulled her back down to his side. "What are you on about, Rupert?"

Giles cleaned his glasses before placing them back on his face. "I spoke to an old acquaintance of mine recently. He worked at the Sunnydale Museum of Natural History. A discovery was made outside of town and brought to the museum in the guise of a large rock. He called me in hoping that I would be able to identify it, but at the time I had no idea what we were dealing with. I have just been notified of his sudden death and the rock has disappeared."

Buffy let out a sigh. "I bet anything I know who's behind that. What would Angelus and the others want with a big rock?"

Spike had a feeling he wouldn't like where this was going, and he was right at the Watcher's next words.

"I believe they were after what was inside the rock. I did some research and I'm lead to believe it holds Acathla, a demon that came forth to swallow the world. He was killed by a virtuous knight, who pierced the demon's heart before he could draw a breath to perform the act. Acathla turned to stone, and was buried where neither man nor demon would want to look."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Okay, that doesn't sound good."

Spike stood up and began to pace. "Bloody wankers, trying to suck the world into Hell. Don't they realize they would just go right along with it? This has to be the worse sodding plan Angelus has ever come up with."

Giles agreed. "They would need a key in order to open the tomb; it's probably only a matter of time until Angelus realizes what that is."

"Then we have to find a way to stop him before he gets that far. Do you think they went back to the mansion?" she asked Spike, who shook his head.

"Not unless they plan on us crashing their party. There's a factory not too far from here, been abandoned for years. That would be my first guess."

Buffy plopped back down on the couch. "So, what's the plan?"

"It's getting rather late. I think right now it would be best for us all to turn in, we'll think about a strategy tomorrow," Giles explained.

Buffy liked that plan. She stood and headed over to Spike, concerned by the look in his eyes. "Hey, we'll find them. The world isn't going to Hell on my watch," she said with a smile.

Spike gave a small smile in return, but her confidence wasn't enough to stop the worried feeling he had.

* * *

Buffy hated having to go to school when the end of the world was near, especially when she felt that all eyes were on her. She found Willow by her locker, hurrying over to the red head.

"Do I have something on my face? I get the impression that everyone is staring at me."

Willow shook her head. "Well, you do look really nice today."

Now Buffy knew something was wrong. "All right, what do you know?"

Willow had a feeling her friend would see right through that. "I've heard a rumor going around about you. They're saying that you're easy and pay guys for sex."

Buffy's jaw dropped. "Who the hell is saying that?"

"I got it from some guy on the chess team. I think Harmony started it."

Buffy clenched her fists at her side. "I should have known. She saw me and Spike making out in the library, figures she would think I paid him. As if I can't get a guy any other way, right? I've had enough of that bitch to last me a lifetime. This ends now."

* * *

She found Harmony outside of the girl's locker room later that day, marching over to the cheerleader with a look that could kill.

"Are you really so jealous of the fact Spike chose me over you that you would resort to spreading lies about me?"

Harmony turned around to glare at her. "I know what I saw, Betty. It makes perfect sense now. So, how much do you charge?"

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "Why, you interested?"

Harmony scoffed. "Please, even if I did swing that way, I wouldn't choose a pathetic loser."

"Is that right? How's Warren doing?"

The cheerleader's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? I don't have anything to do with that geek."

Buffy grinned. "Come on, Harm. Don't deny it; I know how close you guys are. It pains me to do this, but you leave me with no choice." She pulled out her cell phone, browsing through the photos on it. "Here's a lovely picture of the two of you in the locker room when you thought it was empty. I'm just going to skip ahead, these involve a lot of kissing and it's frankly making me nauseous. Oh, here's a favorite of mine." Buffy held the phone up for Harmony to see. "Warren with his head between your thighs. I suppose you're going to tell me he was just looking for loose change?"

She gasped. "That was a mistake! I was lonely and it was only one time. I don't want anything to do with that freak. I swear, if you tell anyone about this…"

"You tell everyone that the rumor about me isn't true, and no one will ever see these pictures. Do we have a deal?"

Harmony scowled at her. "Fine, but I seriously hate you."

Buffy's grin became even wider. "The feeling is very mutual. Just one more thing, though. You're to stay away from me for the remainder of the school year. I don't want to hear you, see you, matter of fact as far as I'm concerned, you don't even exist. You try to put any moves on my boyfriend again, and we will be having another confrontation. Have a nice day," she finished cheerily, then headed over to her locker to see that Spike was waiting for her, a smirk plastered on his face.

"I have never been so bloody turned on in my entire existence."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "It's really not fair that you heard me from all the way over here."

He tapped his ear. "The beauty of vamp hearing, so, I take it she'll finally leave you alone now."

Buffy nodded. "If she knows what's good for her. Let's go, I'm suddenly very eager to stop an Apocalypse."

Spike took her hand in his as they both made their way out of the school.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Buffy woke up with a start, glancing around at her surroundings to see that she was safe in her own room.

"Weird dream," she mumbled to herself. Buffy usually had the habit of dreaming of her mother, but this was unlike anything she had experienced before. It was more like a nightmare. She saw tons of demons that weren't familiar to her, and just prayed they weren't anything she would have to face. Buffy had enough to worry about with Angelus and the others trying to suck the world into Hell.

* * *

Two days went by and there was no sign of the vampires.

Buffy decided that they would need extra help against them, so had Giles call in reinforcements. She entered the house to find him sitting on the couch, a glass of Scotch in his hand. "This can't be good."

He glanced up at her, placing the glass down and rubbing his temples. "I spoke with Wesley."

"What did he say? Is Faith coming to help us?"

Giles shook his head, taking in a deep breath. "I'm afraid not. It appears that Faith was killed a couple of days ago."

Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't know Faith all that well, but didn't think anything could take down the dark haired Slayer. "I guess we're on our own, then. There's no telling where the other Slayer would be, and we don't exactly have time to deal with someone that's newly Chosen. It looks like the fate of the world is up to us."

* * *

"I just can't believe this. Faith was a great fighter. She was a bit careless at times, but always knew what she was doing. To be taken out by a few fledgling vampires just doesn't make any sense."

Spike nodded and dodged her punch. "Maybe she was having an off day. It has been known to happen."

Buffy supposed he was right, but really would have felt better about dealing with the end of the world if they had a Slayer on their side. "I think we should pay Maggie another visit. She's bound to know where Angelus is, I would like to have a clear location in mind."

He agreed and threw another hit, which she easily blocked. There was nothing Spike loved more than sparring with her, well, maybe except for the sex.

Buffy was getting frustrated, not able to stop thinking about Faith. "I just hate this. I wish we had more of a chance against them. You have that gem in your head, so that gives you a big advantage. What good am I gonna be?"

Spike lowered his guard and gave her a look, but realized that was a mistake when her leg suddenly came up and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying across the room and right into a wall.

Buffy gasped in shock. "Holy crap, are you okay?" she said in concern as she rushed to his side.

Spike let her help him up, putting on a confused expression. "I'm fine for someone that just had all the breath knocked out of him. It's a good thing I don't breathe."

"How did I do that? Did you see me? I've never been able to do that before."

Spike took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. "Well, pet, I think it's safe to say that we don't have to look very far for the next Slayer."

* * *

"This is extraordinary," Giles muttered for what felt like the millionth time that night.

Buffy continued to pace. "Freaky is the word I would use. How is this even possible? I can't be the Slayer. Hello? My mom was a Slayer; it's not exactly something that runs in the family. This has to be a mistake."

Spike rubbed her back to try and give her some comfort.

Giles went to his weapon's chest, pulling out a metal pipe. "Give this a try," he said, handing it over to her.

Buffy took it with raised eyebrows, realizing after a few seconds of staring just what he wanted her to do with it. She took a deep breath, then bent the pipe with all the strength she possessed. She dropped it to the floor and gazed up at them. "Okay, so, I'm suddenly freakishly strong. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for that." Buffy threw her hands up in the air when they remained silent. "What am I supposed to do now? This is a world of bad. Slayers don't live for very long. I always planned on being done with demons once I got rid of Drusilla. To have that normal life my mom always wanted for me. Now, I don't have a choice. This isn't fair. I didn't ask for this."

Spike took her in his arms once he spotted the tears, his heart breaking for her.

Buffy shook her head and pulled away from him, glaring at Giles. "How did you not know about this?"

"I don't work for the Council anymore, Buffy. They don't tend to keep me in the loop."

She laughed humorlessly. "So, what does this mean? Am I going to get another Watcher or something?"

He cleaned his glasses before addressing her. "I don't know for certain. I'll have to inform the Council of this, and perhaps convince them to let me have the responsibility. I know I'm not as young as I once was, but I still remember a thing or two. Especially when it comes to dealing with stubborn Slayers."

That got a small smile out of Buffy. "I hope so. The last thing I need is some stuffy British guy watching my every move. It took me forever to break you in."

Spike chuckled and cuddled her back to his side, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Look on the bright side; at least we have a Slayer on our side now. Just like you wanted, at least you know what you're doing."

Buffy had to agree there, even though this wasn't exactly what she had in mind.

* * *

"I want this over with now. I'm sick of waiting for them to make a move. I say we take the fight to them."

Spike followed after her. "That won't be as easy, love. I'm sure they know we're on to them, they're bound to be ready for us."

Buffy stopped to look at him. "True, but they don't know about me being a Slayer now, or about your gem. I'm sure Maggie knows where their new hideout is. We take them during the day; they'll never expect an ambush then. I'm just tired of worrying about this, Spike. I want them out of the picture."

Spike nodded as they continued the track to Maggie's place. He grabbed a hold of her arm when something didn't feel right.

Buffy didn't know what was wrong, until she noticed that Maggie's door was open. She took off in a run.

He called out to her, but she was too far gone to hear.

Buffy entered the house, the stench making her gag as she put a hand to her mouth. The place was wrecked. She moved in further and stopped at the sight of a body on the floor. Buffy felt tears form in her eyes as she knelt down by Maggie's side, trying to feel for a pulse. She didn't notice that Spike was right behind her, until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"She's gone, love. Bloody Dru, she must have sensed Maggie's power and knew that we would come here."

Buffy hardly listened, feeling that it was all her fault. "We should have come sooner," she whispered. "I should have stopped this. I'm the Slayer; it's what I'm supposed to do."

Spike grasped her shoulders and pulled her up to look at him. "There's nothing you could have done. This wasn't your fault; the wankers were trying to find a way to open the tomb. They won't figure it out. The only person that knows about that besides us is…" he trailed off, his eyes widening, which quickly matched hers.

"Giles!" she claimed and ran out of the house, Spike not far behind.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Buffy crashed through the front door in her haste to get there; glancing around the house she could tell that they were too late. The place was a mess, and Giles was nowhere to be found. She collapsed to the floor, feeling strong arms wrap around her a second later.

"We'll get him back, love."

She shook her head. "What if it's too late? He could already be dead."

Spike grasped her shoulders and turned her to look at him. "He's alive; they wouldn't kill him just yet. Not when they need him, we'll get him back. I promise you that."

Buffy nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't lose him, Spike. He's the only father I have."

Spike took her in his arms, rubbing her back as she cried into his chest. No matter what happened, he would make sure Angelus paid for this.

* * *

Angelus slapped him across the face one more time, pleased when his eyes finally started to flutter open.

"It's about time; I thought you would sleep the whole night away."

Giles opened his eyes and really wished he hadn't. It was hard to remember what happened, or how he found himself to be tied to a chair, Angelus hovering over him. "What do you want?"

The vampire rolled his eyes. "I think you know the answer to that. Blood is needed to free Acathla. I tried that, but it didn't work. Now, you're going to tell me what I'm doing wrong, or I torture you very slowly. The choice is yours."

Giles held his head up high. "I won't tell you anything."

Angelus gave a sadistic grin. "Wrong answer."

* * *

"I think the factory is our best bet. We should check it out first thing in the morning. I just hope Giles is okay." She snuggled against him, taking comfort in knowing he was right there with her.

Spike agreed. "He's a strong bloke, I'm sure he can hold his own."

A knock sounded on the door, it was opened to reveal Xander and Willow.

"We came as soon as we could. Are you sure they have Giles?" the red head wondered.

Buffy nodded. "I can't think of any other explanation for his disappearance."

Xander was confused. "How did they even get in? Wouldn't they need an invite?"

"Dru must have used her thrall. She's good at that," Spike explained.

Buffy got back to the point. "We're hitting the factory as soon as the sun comes up. I need you guys to find Giles and get him out of there, Spike and I will handle the others."

Willow didn't love that plan. "We could help, too. You guys could probably use all the help you can get."

Buffy shook her head. "I can't worry about the two of you on top of Giles. We can handle it; I'm a lot stronger these days."

Willow and Xander exchanged looks, so Buffy decided to demonstrate for them.

Spike smiled as she went to the weapon's chest and bent yet another one of the Watcher's treasures. He would never get tired of watching her do that.

"Damn, that's hot," Xander claimed, then thought better of it when he noticed the thunderous expression on Spike's face.

"How did you do that, Buffy?"

She explained to them about being the new Slayer, and they were surprisingly not freaked by it.

"Wow, that's really cool. I mean, that is cool, right?" Willow asked her friend, realizing that she didn't seem too quick to agree.

Buffy shrugged. "If It helps me get rid of three crazy vampires, then I'm all for it. I'll worry more about what it means when this is all over. Saving Giles and the world is my main priority right now. God, how did my mom ever handle this?"

Spike wrapped his arms around her. "She was strong, just like you. Your mum put everyone above herself. She was one of the truest hearts I've ever known. You'll make it through this, sweetheart. There's nothing you can't do."

Buffy let out a sigh as she relaxed in his embrace, really hoping that he was right.

* * *

"You know, I can stop the pain. You've been very brave," Angelus commented, placing his hand on Giles' shoulder, "but it's over. You've given enough." He leaned down to his ear. "Now, let me make it stop."

Giles panted and shook with agony. "Please," he whispered.

Angelus knelt down to face him. "Just tell me what I need to know."

"In order to be worthy," he started weakly, "You must perform the ritual…in a tutu."

Angelus scowled at him.

Giles didn't back down. "Pillock," he spat.

Angelus stood up straight. "All right, you leave me with no choice. Drusilla? Daddy needs you!" He called behind him, smiling when the vampiress walked over to his side. Angelus caressed her cheek. "Do you want to play a game?"

* * *

Giles wouldn't give in, no matter how much pain Angelus caused him. He would rather die than help the wanker summon Acathla. They were all as good as dead if that happened, anyway. He remained silent when Drusilla glided over to him.

She grabbed a nearby cloth, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Is that better?" Drusilla put away the cloth, running her finger down his cheek. "Poor thing, let's see what's inside." She ran her hand up the back of Giles' head, closing her eyes and concentrating on reading his thoughts. It didn't take long for her to discover something useful. Drusilla gasped and removed her hand. "Of course," she whispered in his ear. Drusilla went around to his other side, holding up two fingers. "Look at me."

Giles tried to resist, but it was a losing battle.

"Be in me," she said.

In his weakened state, Giles quickly fell under her spell.

Drusilla gazed into his eyes and smiled. "See with your heart." She covered his eyes with her hand, and when she took it away, he saw Joyce Summers kneeling before him.

The woman that he loved and never thought he would see again, having lost her tragically many years ago to a brain tumor. "I thought I lost you."

Joyce gave him a small smile. "I'll never leave you."

Giles tried to get up. "We have to get out of here."

She brushed her hand over his temple, trying to calm him. "Did you tell Angel about the ritual?"

Giles shook his head adamantly. "No, we have to get him away from Acathla."

"Angel himself? He's the key?"

He nodded. "His blood, we can't let him get too close."

She shushed him, then pressed her lips to his.

Angelus was happy with the results. "Blood, of course. The blood on my hands must be my own. I am the key that will open the door. My blood. My life. This is very good." He focused back on Drusilla to see that she was still in a heavy make out session with the old man. "Um, Dru? We're done here."

She pulled away, giving him a sheepish look. "Sorry, I was in the moment."

Giles opened his eyes and realized that he had been tricked. There would be no stopping them now.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

They arrived at the factory first thing in the morning, prepared to go into battle if it came to that. Buffy glanced at her friends, squeezing Spike's hand to give herself some comfort.

"You guys find Giles, then get out of there. Don't try to be all heroic, I won't be able to do my job if I'm worrying about your safety."

Willow and Xander nodded, heading to the back of the factory.

Buffy turned her attention on Spike now. "Are you ready for this? They're not gonna get out of this undusted. I don't expect you to be able to kill Drusilla, but you know I have to do it. I can't let her walk out of there."

Spike pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I know, love. I've got your back, no matter what."

Buffy felt relieved to hear that, taking a deep breath and focusing on the entrance. She pulled the sword out of her bag that she got from Giles' weapon's chest, hoping that she knew how to use it. "Here goes nothing."

* * *

Angelus stood before Acathla, taking the knife that Drusilla handed to him.

"Now, you will be free." He sliced the blade across the palm of his hand, wincing in pain. "And so will we all."

Buffy sneaked in behind one of their minions. She raised her sword and decapitated him with a single swing. He crumbled to ash as his head fell to the floor.

Drusilla and Angelus turned to look at the commotion.

Buffy met their gazes. "Is this a private party, or can anyone join?"

Angelus rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for you."

"You don't have a lot of time left," she spat.

"Coming on kind of strong, don't you think? You're playing some deep odds here. Do you really think you can take us all on?"

Buffy gave him a determined expression. "No, I don't."

The front door busted open, sunlight streaming through as Spike gave them a smile, crossbow raised.

Drusilla whimpered as she moved out of the deadly rays.

Angelus glared at his grandchilde. "How the hell are you not bursting into flames?"

Spike shrugged. "I've been a good boy and got myself a little treat. It's such a nice day, Angelus. Why don't you come over here and see for yourself?"

"Sorry, William, but I kind of have a prior engagement. You really think you can take me on with a bow and arrow?"

Spike shook his head. "This isn't for you, Peaches." He aimed and fired the crossbow when he saw Darla finally emerge to see what was going on, too caught off guard to realize that an arrow was flying in her direction, until it pierced her heart. Spike smiled in satisfaction as her dust hit the ground, meeting the pure look of anger on Angelus' face.

Drusilla was crying at the loss of her grandmother, snatching up her ashes and holding them close to her body.

Angelus ignored her whines and scowled at Spike. "You'll die for that, you piece of shit!"

The battle began.

Spike charged at Angelus, not holding anything back.

Buffy grabbed Drusilla by the hair, throwing her away from Darla's ashes. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

* * *

"Giles!" Xander yelled when he finally found the beaten up old man. "Are you okay?"

Willow gasped at the sight of him.

"Xander?" Giles wondered, still in a state of shock.

"Can you walk?"

Giles shook his head. "You're not real."

Xander wasn't expecting that. "Sure, I'm real."

"It's a trick. They get inside my head; make me see what I want."

Xander untied the ropes and raised his eyebrows. "Then why would they make you see me?"

Giles took that into consideration. "You're right. Let's go."

Xander and Willow helped him out of there, praying that Buffy was handling everything on her end.

* * *

Angelus shoved Spike away from him, kicking the younger vampire hard in the abdomen.

"You're not going to ruin this for me, boy." He left Spike on the ground, hurrying over to Acathla and grabbing the sword that was sticking out of the chest with his bloody hand. A bright light shone through as Angelus pulled the sword out.

Drusilla stopped to look up. "Oh, here he comes."

Buffy put a chokehold on her. "It's a shame you're going to miss him."

Drusilla growled, grabbing Buffy with all her strength and throwing her to the ground. "You're a Slayer now, just like Mummy. She was a bad girl, you should join her. I can help with that. Be in me, deary."

* * *

Spike ended up using Buffy's sword to hold off Angelus, even though he knew it was too late and Acathla was slowly awakening. If he had to go to Hell, he would be sure to take Angelus with him. He turned to see that Buffy was starting to weaken as she faced off with Drusilla. He knew she could hold her own, but all bets were off the second Dru left three long scratches on her face. Spike saw red and pushed Angelus away from him, making his way over to Buffy's side. Drusilla was on top of his girl, about to strike her fangs into Buffy's neck. Without thinking much about his actions, he pulled a stake out of his pocket and thrust it into her back.

Drusilla turned to him, giving him a sad expression as she exploded in a cloud of dust.

Buffy coughed when the ashes fell on her, gazing up into the face of her boyfriend.

"Sorry, I know you wanted to do it."

Buffy didn't care about that. She only cared about the fact that Spike just killed his sire for her.

Spike helped her up, caressing her cheek softly. "No one hurts my girl."

She felt touched, but her attention was immediately brought away from him.

Angelus laughed in the background. "Well, isn't that sweet? I'm sure you two can have plenty of cozy moments in the pit of Hell. We're all going for a ride."

Spike pulled Buffy behind him as Acathla started to open, knowing that he had to think fast if they were ever going to get out of this. He kicked up the crossbow that was by his side, aiming it toward Angelus. "I'm not ready to leave this world just yet." He fired the arrow, which struck the elder vampire in the shoulder.

Angelus cried out, then barked in laughter. "You missed, boy, and it looks to me like that was your last one."

Spike grinned when Angelus fell to the ground. "No, I don't think I did."

They walked over to the fallen vampire, glancing down at him.

"What did you do to me?"

Spike pulled the arrow out of Angelus, not caring about his cry of pain. He held it up for him to see. "It's a mystical compound. The Latin name translates roughly to Killer of the Dead. A poison to vampires. Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?"

Angelus tried to get up, but fell back down.

Spike gave him a hand and yanked him to his feet. "The only one going to Hell is you, Peaches." He moved out of the way, giving Buffy room as she walked over, sword now in hand.

No words needed to be said as she thrust the sword into Angelus' chest.

He reached out, hoping one of them would have mercy on him, but there was no such luck.

They stood there as Angelus was soon sucked into the vortex, leaving Acathla dormant once again.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"God, who knew that saving the world could be so exhausting?"

Spike chuckled at her side. "You sure it's not from the hours of shagging we just had?"

She slapped his chest lightly, blushing into his shoulder. "That might have something to do with it."

He trailed his fingers down her bare arm. "You ready to go again? There is much to be said about Slayer muscles."

Buffy glanced up at him. "Oh, so it wasn't good before?"

"It was bloody marvelous, but I like that I don't have to worry about being too rough with you now."

Buffy moved on top of him. "I was always able to keep up with you."

He gasped when she thrust down on him, resting his hands against her waist.

They spent another hour doing just that, until Buffy finally let exhaustion take over.

She traced the outlines of his chest, breaking the silence a moment later. "There's something I need to do tomorrow. Would you come with me?"

Spike nodded. "Anywhere you want."

She smiled and cuddled up closer to him, finally letting sleep claim her.

* * *

Buffy traced her mother's name on the headstone, placing the flowers she picked up down before it.

"Hey, Mom. I know I haven't been by in a while, but things have been kind of hectic. I don't know how you did it. Everything's going well now. Spike is a really good man; I can see why you fell for him. We're going to take care of each other, so you won't need to worry about us. I love you," she whispered, then placed down flowers at the next grave, tracing the name as well. "Thanks for always being there, Maggie. I just wish that I appreciated it more. I'm sorry that I couldn't save you." She stood up and moved over to Spike, taking his hand in hers.

"Are you going to be okay, love?"

She nodded and gazed into his eyes, giving him a warm smile. "I am now."

* * *

"I'm telling you, she'll never go for this. What is that Council of yours even thinking, Rupert?"

Giles rubbed his temples for what felt like the millionth time. "I really couldn't say, but I agree with them about this. I'm not the Watcher I used to be, Spike. I haven't had a Slayer to deal with for fourteen years; this is probably the best thing for her."

Spike wasn't convinced, not knowing what to say when Buffy finally showed up.

"Oh no, please tell me there's not another Apocalypse already?"

That brought a small smile to Giles' face. "No, Buffy, but I have spoken with the Council. They have chosen a new Watcher for you."

She nodded. "I figured that would probably happen. So, who is it?"

Spike chose that moment to speak up. "You're looking at him, love."

Her eyes widened. "Seriously, you're my Watcher now?"

He nodded as well. "Apparently the Council was really impressed by my help against Angelus and the others. They've never known of a vampire to go against family before in order to save the world, I guess. If you tell Rupes this is a bad idea, I'll completely understand."

Buffy shook her head. "I think this is great. I was worried about dealing with some stuffy British guy, but I've already broken you in."

Spike glared at her. "Thanks ever so."

Buffy wrapped her arms around him. "Come on, Spike. Not only am I involved with a vampire, but I'm also involved with my Watcher. It's just scandalous," she said with a wicked grin.

He matched her grin with one of his own. "Well, when you put it that way, how can a bloke refuse?"

Giles turned away when they started to make out, not wanting to witness the obvious display of affection. He just shook his head and made his way into the kitchen. "The Earth is doomed."

**The End**

Well, that's all she wrote. I hope the ending was to your liking. I was dealing with major writer's block and felt that it was just time to end it, I think I've done all that I needed to with this one. Thanks to those that read and reviewed!


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